Animal Spotlight
Napoleon Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus
Gentle Giants of the Reef
Also known as a humphead or Māori wrasse, the Napoleon wrasse is easily recognizable by the hump on its head, which resembles a Napoleon hat and becomes more prominent with age. With eyes that can turn almost 360°, they have excellent vision.
One of the largest reef fish in the world, most wrasses are born as females and can then change into males. These gentle, inquisitive giants — which can grow up to 7.5 feet and weigh up to 420 pounds — are important to the food chain, as they can eat toxic species such as boxfish, sea hares, and crown-of-thorns sea stars.
Habitat
Lagoon reefs and steep outer reef slopes
Diet
Shellfish, fish, sea stars, sea urchins, crabs, burrowing worms, mussels, boxfish, sea hares, and crown-of-thorns sea stars
Predators
Larger sharks
Conservation Status
Endangered
Phylum
Chordata
Meet the Neighbors
This colossal fish inhabits our Heart of the Sea habitat, along with a loggerhead sea turtle and is neighbors with a variety of sea life, including colorful clownfish.
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Clownfish
These tiny, territorial fish don’t just live in anemones, they protect their symbiotic hosts loyally, rarely straying more than 30 cm away.
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Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Named for their large heads (which sport powerful jaws meant for eating hard-shelled prey), loggerhead sea turtles can live up to 80 years and average 250 pounds.
Ready to Visit?
See a Napoleon wrasse, blue speckled grouper, spotted unicornfish, a loggerhead sea turtle, and more in this Indo-Pacific habitat.