Napoleonfish swimming along a reef

Wildlife Wednesday : Napoleonfish

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This is a short clip of a Napoleonfish (Cheilinus undulatus) spotted along a reef in Laamu Atoll, Maldives.

The fish is also know as the Humphead Wrasse, Humphead Maori Wrasse, Giant Maori Wrasse, Napoleon Wrasse, and Napoleon fish. Naming reference depends on the region. The wrasse can be spotted along coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to French Polynesia Islands.

The Napoleonfish is one of the largest species of wrasses. Scuba divers love large males which are distinguished by the huge hump on their forehead and considerable size. They are usually spotted swimming alone along deep walls and some are residents of shipwrecks.

This was not my first time observing a large wrasse. I’ve also spotted them on dives off the coast of Egypt and Indonesia.

I shot this image with a Panasonic GH5. We were diving with the team from the Six Sense Resort Laamu.

More images from the Maldives can be found here.

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Comments

2 responses to “Wildlife Wednesday : Napoleonfish”

  1. cindy knoke Avatar
    cindy knoke

    So awesome! I have seen them before. I miss all the fish I used to see, the abalones you could pick off rocks, and the lobsters you could pick up from tide pools, the giant black sea bass you could snorkel with, the sheepshead, all the sculpin, and baby fish nurseries. At least we still have the garibaldi, they are protected. Most all others are gone now. We still do get hammerheads at dawn, in huge schools occasionally, and the pilot whales in large pods. And the great white juveniles still come each year to hang out at the pier at Scripps. You can see them, and all the stingrays, when you go to the end of the pier, and watch the oblivious swimmers. Your photos and videos are incredible.

    Reply
    1. ScubaHankNYC Avatar
      ScubaHankNYC

      Thanks! It’s amazing what humans do to the oceans. I hear from many people that observed the reduction of marine life over time.
      Hopefully, the last two years will have given marine life the opportunity to strengthen and rebound.

      Reply

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