'Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi'
Abstract
Wrasses come under the family Labridae, with
majority of the species having a maximum length of
less than 20 cm. Common in shallow waters in a
variety of habitats, including bare sand and rock,
grass and algae-covered bottoms and coral reefs.
they have a wide distribution and are known to occur
in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific waters. Wrasses
are active only during day time, burrowing in the sand
and sleeping in rock or coral shelters at night. The
genus Xyrichtys is observed and recorded for the
first time at Mangalore
