The comb wrasse or combfish (''Coris picta'') is a
species of
wrasse of the genus ''
Coris'', native to the western
Pacific Ocean off eastern
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and around offshore islands off north eastern
New Zealand. This species can be found in areas with sandy substrates around rock
reefs at depths from . It can reach in
total length. This species can also be found in the
aquarium
An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...
trade.
The combfish has a long, white body with a prominent, wide, black stripe from its mouth across its eye along the body to the end of the tail. The lower margin of the stripe is wavy and comb-like, giving the fish its common name. The portion of the stripe on the tail fin turns yellow during the breeding season. Also, a thin, red stripe runs along the top of the body from the mouth, along the base of the
dorsal fin, for the fin's full length.
Comb wrasses often act as
cleaners and some get most of their food in this way. The contrasting colour pattern with its cleaning signal stripe acts as a strong attraction to many other reef fish, and they are often surrounded by groups of fishes waiting to be cleaned. The rest of their diet consists of small
crustaceans.
References
*Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, ''Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand'', (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q933426
Combfish
Fish described in 1801