New Guinea Wrasse

Head spotted. Color of females black dorsally, blue spotted, becoming yellowish white on sides and white ventrally; opercle with a large black ocellus; anal fin with a broad black band. Male form blackish dorsally with light blue dots, shading gradually to light yellowish green; each body scale with vertical light blue line; upper half of head dark reddish with dark-edged blue bands radiating from eye; anal fins with several longitudinal bands on a broad orange zone; caudal fin with vertical stripes. Dorsal spines pungent.

Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 11 - 13

Occurs inshore (Ref. 75154).

An inshore species inhabiting shallow coral reefs (Ref. 9823), with patches of sand and rubble (Ref. 37816), also along upper part of slopes and on reef crests with Acropora corals. Adults occur in small loose groups of females with dominant male nearby. Juveniles occur solitary in corals (Ref. 48636). Feed on benthic invertebrates. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Occasionally seen in fish markets and aquarium trade.

fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial; price category: very high; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

分布於西太平洋區，台灣、菲律賓至斐濟，北至琉球群島，南至新加勒多尼亞及大堡礁海域等。台灣發現於南部、西南部、小 琉球、蘭嶼及綠島等地。

中小型之隆頭魚，色彩鮮明，經濟價值不高，且較少人食用，但偶而可以在漁市場和水族館看到。

體長形，側扁。口小；唇稍厚，內側具縐褶；上下頜前方各有一對向前伸出門狀齒，扁平而有切截緣。體被大或中大鱗，頭部眼前無鱗，胸部鱗片不較體側為大；側線連續。D. IX, 12； A. III, 12； L.l. 26； G.R. 15-18；背鰭與臀鰭後部尖形；尾鰭圓形。體色自吻上緣經眼下緣至背鰭最後鰭條基部的直線，以上為黑色，以下為白色，黑色體背具許多細白點，白色腹部每一鱗片具淡色的細橫線；背鰭黑色，基部具列藍點；臀鰭基部藍色，中央黑色，末稍藍色；尾鰭末稍透明；較小的成魚鰓蓋膜與背、臀鰭軟條後方各具一鑲白邊之黑斑。

主要棲息於近海的礁砂混合區域，深度可達25公尺。白天在珊瑚礁區覓食活動，晚上則鑽沙而眠。行一夫多妻生活。具性轉變的行為，屬於先雌後雄型。以小型的甲殼類、軟體動物和多毛類等為食。

Anampses neoguinaicus, the New Guinea wrasse, is a fish found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

This species reaches a length of 20.0 cm (7.9 in).