Hawaiian Fishes 



287 



Drown from Jordan & Seale 



at the base of the tail. It will reach a length of at least four inches. 



This fish is found from Japan and the Philippine Islands through 

 Micronesia and Polynesia as far as the Hawaiian Islands. 



THE WRASSE FISH FAMILY 



Including the Hogfishes and the Lady Fishes 

 113 Family Labridae 



The family of the wrasse fishes is a very large group of fishes found 

 chiefly in tropical seas, although a few do inhabit the waters of colder 

 areas. 



In general, the members of this family are nearly all brilliantly colored. 

 Marked with blue, green, golden, scarlet, crimson and purple, they form 

 a brilliant and interesting group of tropical reef fishes. 



The members of the family of the wrasse fishes may be recognized 

 by the presence of separate teeth in the front of the jaw. These teeth 

 are very strong and are used for crushing the shells of the molluscs on 

 which they feed. Nearly all of the members of the family live about 

 rocks, reefs, and kelp beds, where they feed on molluscs and other forms 

 of marine life. 



The wrasse fishes are one of the very largest families of fishes. Thejr 

 include about 450 species and are well represented in Polynesia. This 

 family is represented by about 45 species in Hawaiian waters and is the 

 largest family of fishes in the Islands. 



