Novaculichthys taeniourus (Lacepède, 1801)
Dragon or rockmover wrasse, 30cm

These are common on shallow lagoon, pinnacle and seaward reefs. The first photo is the adult form. These are often seen grasping large rocks with their teeth and rolling them around to scare out prey from underneath.

The rest are juveniles. Their swimming style looks a lot like a leaf blowing in the wind.

Created 26 May 2014
Updated 27 March 2017

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