The Gomphosus caeruleus is easily distinguishable from other Maldivian fish species due to its unique shape, and it is known as G. c. klunzingeri in the Red Sea, named after Klausewitz.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 28m
color
Females brown, pale below. Males dark blue-green with pale green dorsal, anal and posterior crescent of caudal fin; rear edge of pectorals blue.
This species is typically found in coral and rocky reefs, reaching depths of up to 15 meters. It feeds on small invertebrates that it extracts from the crevices and cracks of coral and rock formations using its long jaws.
distinctive characters
This fish has a dorsal fin with 8 spines and 13 rays, an anal fin with 3 spines and 11 rays, and a pectoral fin with 15 rays. Its body depth is 3.7-4.0 in standard length, and its snout is extremely long and slender (except for small juveniles), with its length being more than half the length of the head. The caudal fin changes from truncate in initial phase fish to emarginate with prolonged lobes in terminal males.