Cheilinus undulatus
- Up to 2 m and about 190 kgSize
- Year roundBest time
- Endangered (IUCN); protected on the reefStatus
What to look for
Hard to miss: a thick-bodied fish with a pronounced bump on the forehead, big fleshy lips and a maze of fine blue and green lines across the face. Juveniles are pale with dark bars and live in the coral; adults patrol the reef edge alone or in pairs. They crunch through sea urchins, molluscs and crown-of-thorns starfish, which makes them one of the reef’s own repair crew.
Why so few
Māori wrasse grow slowly, change sex from female to male partway through life, and were heavily fished for the live reef-fish trade across Asia. Queensland banned taking them in 2003 and the reef now holds some of the healthiest populations left. Treat a big one as the privilege it is: no feeding, no touching, and let it set the pace.
Where to see it
Dive with us to see it
You might also see
- Potato codThe famous friendly giants of the Cod Hole on the Ribbon Reefs, a liveaboard highlight north of Cairns.
- ParrotfishFrom the crunching schools of bumpheads to the sleeping bags of mucus at night, parrotfish are the reef’s builders and gardeners.
- Coral troutThe reef’s most handsome predator: bright red with a scatter of blue spots, lurking by the bommies.
