Debbie Lee, Australia
Info
In May 2026, two new cleaner wrasse species were described and published: Labroides inopinatus and Labroides flammulatus, the cinnabar cleaner wrasse.
Labroides flammulatus occurs in its habitat alongside Labroides dimidiatus sensu lato and Labroides bicolor, which may also be a reason for the species’ later description, given the bustling activity of the cleaner wrasse in the cleaning stations on the reef.
Coloration in the initial phase:
Similar to the terminal phase, but the stripe on the body is wider and the orange-brown coloration on the posterior body is less pronounced
Coloration in the terminal phase:
The head and anterior half of the body are gray to steel blue; the lower part of the head is sometimes marked with a narrow, dark stripe running from the corner of the mouth to the lower edge of the gill opening.
The nape and dorsal region feature a brown stripe extending from the midline of the upper lip to the anterior third or half of the dorsal fin base.
The inner edge of the lips is red; the snout displays a horizontal brown to black stripe that runs from the upper lip to the front edge of the eye socket and is about the same width as or slightly narrower than the eye socket.
The stripe continues horizontally through the eye socket, widens, and extends along the body to the outer edge of the caudal fin.
The eye socket lies entirely within the stripe; the pupil is bordered by a light yellow ring.
The middle to posterior part of the upper body is orange-brown above the stripe, sometimes extending ventrally and interspersed with the body stripe.
The extent of the orange-brown coloration within the body stripe is generally faint; however, in adult individuals, it may widen and soften or blur the dorsal edge of the stripe.
The lower body is silver-gray; the lower base of the pectoral fin has a black elliptical spot; the dorsal fin is reddish-brown, with the posterior, segmented portion being more pronounced, sometimes extending ventrally into the orange-brown upper body.
The distal part of the segmented dorsal fin is translucent; the base of the anal fin is marked with an orange-brown stripe, while the remainder of the fin is translucent.
The caudal peduncle and caudal fin of the wrasse are black, except for the distal and ventral edges, which are light blue to purple.
The pelvic fins are hyaline, the pectoral fins translucent
Etymology:
The species name “flammulatus” is a Latin adjective derived from “flammula,” meaning “tiny flame” or “small fiery spot.”
The adjective form can be translated as “bearing a small flame” and refers to the orange spots on the body, which, while clearly visible, are rarely intense enough to completely obscure the lateral body stripe.
The name was chosen as the winner by students in a “Name that Fish” poll held at the Australian Museum as part of the Sydney Science Trail in 2023.
The common name is derived from the volcanic mineral of the same name, based on similarities in color as well as the fact that Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are of volcanic origin.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Debbie Lee for her fantastic photo of Labroides flammulatus, which she was able to capture around Christmas Island,
Labroides flammulatus occurs in its habitat alongside Labroides dimidiatus sensu lato and Labroides bicolor, which may also be a reason for the species’ later description, given the bustling activity of the cleaner wrasse in the cleaning stations on the reef.
Coloration in the initial phase:
Similar to the terminal phase, but the stripe on the body is wider and the orange-brown coloration on the posterior body is less pronounced
Coloration in the terminal phase:
The head and anterior half of the body are gray to steel blue; the lower part of the head is sometimes marked with a narrow, dark stripe running from the corner of the mouth to the lower edge of the gill opening.
The nape and dorsal region feature a brown stripe extending from the midline of the upper lip to the anterior third or half of the dorsal fin base.
The inner edge of the lips is red; the snout displays a horizontal brown to black stripe that runs from the upper lip to the front edge of the eye socket and is about the same width as or slightly narrower than the eye socket.
The stripe continues horizontally through the eye socket, widens, and extends along the body to the outer edge of the caudal fin.
The eye socket lies entirely within the stripe; the pupil is bordered by a light yellow ring.
The middle to posterior part of the upper body is orange-brown above the stripe, sometimes extending ventrally and interspersed with the body stripe.
The extent of the orange-brown coloration within the body stripe is generally faint; however, in adult individuals, it may widen and soften or blur the dorsal edge of the stripe.
The lower body is silver-gray; the lower base of the pectoral fin has a black elliptical spot; the dorsal fin is reddish-brown, with the posterior, segmented portion being more pronounced, sometimes extending ventrally into the orange-brown upper body.
The distal part of the segmented dorsal fin is translucent; the base of the anal fin is marked with an orange-brown stripe, while the remainder of the fin is translucent.
The caudal peduncle and caudal fin of the wrasse are black, except for the distal and ventral edges, which are light blue to purple.
The pelvic fins are hyaline, the pectoral fins translucent
Etymology:
The species name “flammulatus” is a Latin adjective derived from “flammula,” meaning “tiny flame” or “small fiery spot.”
The adjective form can be translated as “bearing a small flame” and refers to the orange spots on the body, which, while clearly visible, are rarely intense enough to completely obscure the lateral body stripe.
The name was chosen as the winner by students in a “Name that Fish” poll held at the Australian Museum as part of the Sydney Science Trail in 2023.
The common name is derived from the volcanic mineral of the same name, based on similarities in color as well as the fact that Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are of volcanic origin.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Debbie Lee for her fantastic photo of Labroides flammulatus, which she was able to capture around Christmas Island,
