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.
Clownfish
These tiny, territorial fish don’t just live in anemones, they protect their symbiotic hosts loyally, rarely straying more than 30 cm away.
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.