Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Labriformes (Order) > Labroidei (Suborder) > Labridae (Family) > Pseudocheilinus (Genus)

Labre à huit lignes, Eightstripe wrasse, Eightline wrasse, Eight-lined wrasse, Eight-line wrasse, Agstreep-lipvis, Ottelinjet læbefisk, Yasuji-nisemochino-uo, ヤスジニセモチノウオ,

Synonyme
Pseudocheilinus margaretae (Smith, 1956)

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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-12 (usually: 11); Anal spines: 2-3 without long filaments (filaments <¾ length of spine); Anal soft rays: 9-10 (usually: 9); Pectoral fin rays: 13-15 (usually: 14); Lateral line scales: 16-18 + 5-6; Horizontal rows of scales on cheek: 3-4;  Gill rakers: 12-17 (usually: 14-15); Body moderately elongate, body depth: 2.9-3.5 in SL; Head long: 2.5-2.7 in SL; Snout length: 2.7-2.9 in HL; Caudal fin: 4-4.2 in SL. Upper jaw with 3 pairs of large canines at front, lateral pair about twice as long and strongly recurved. Preopercle with membranous flap at angle, upper margin smooth. Max. length: 12.0 cm TL. Depth range: 2 - 50 m.

Color
Body yellow, with 8 lavender, magenta or purplish brown stripes narrower than yellow interspaces (sometimes orange dashes or elongate spots within yellow interspaces); Head with small orange-yellow spots; Caudal fin pale yellow, finely spotted with orange-yellow; Dorsal and anal fins faintly and narrowly striped with violet and yellow.

Etymology
Pseudocheilinus: from Greek, pseudes = false + from Greek, cheilos = lip.
octotaenia: from Latin, octo = numeral eight + from Latin, taenia = ribbon, band, tapeworm. Referring to eight stripes following middle of longitudinal scale rows along body.
Original description: Pseudocheilinus octotaenia Jenkins, 1901 - Type locality: Honolulu, Oahu Island, Hawaiian Islands.

Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), East Africa, Agalega Islands and Aldabra (Seychelles), Comoros, Madagascar and western Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius), east to Hawaiian Islands (U.S.A.) and Ducie (Pitcairn Group), north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia, Tonga and Austral Islands (French Polynesia).

Biology
Inhabits among rubble or live corals of seaward reefs, usually in caves and crevices with rich invertebrate. Benthopelagic. Feeds mainly on benthic crustaceans, but also takes small mollusks, echinoids (sea urchins), fish eggs, and crab larvae. The pseudocheiline wrasses are distinct from all other labrids in having the central portion of the scleral cornea bisected into two subequal portions.

Last update: 29, March 2023