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Fish

Napoleon Fish

Scientific Name

Cheilinus undulatus

Other Common Name(s)

Napoleon Wrasse, Humphead Wrasse, Maori Wrasse

Body Weight

Up to 190 kg

Body Length

Up to 2.3 m

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Habitat

Coral reefs, seagrass meadows and the waters near mangroves

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Diet

Fish, as well as invertebrates such as sea urchins, crustaceans and other shellfish
Fish, scallop, squid, and shrimp.

Fun Facts

  • Napoleon fish are named after the distinctive hump on their forehead, which resembles the hat of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor of the early 19th century.

  • Most Napoleon fish are born as females. They form harems and take about 5 to 7 years to reach sexual maturity. There is one dominant male responsible for fertilising the harem in its territory. If a dominant male does not exist, a female with a larger body size will change her sex and take up the role of a dominant male.

    • Napoleon Wrasse swimming in blue water with coral at bottom right.
    A Humphead Wrasse swimming in a coral reef.

    Distribution

    Indian Ocean, as well as southern and central Pacific Ocean, including the waters of countries such as Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Australia, Saudi Arabia. It is also a native species in Hong Kong.

    Threats & Conservation

    Threats & Conservation

    Threats

    • An axe and a hexagonal grid with red dotsAn axe and a hexagonal grid with red dots

      Overexploitation of Biological Resources

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      Climate Change

    Commercial fisheries have been driving the Napoleon fish towards extinction. Both adults and juveniles are targeted by the live reef food fish trade and are caught intensively. Exploitation is particularly heavy in Southeast Asia. Due to their late sexual maturity and sex-changing nature, Napoleon fish are very vulnerable to overfishing. Although prohibited in many countries, cyanide is still used to catch Napoleon fish and is the main cause for the death of corals and the destruction of the habitat of these fish. The fish’s population has been reduced by more than 50% over about 3 decades.

    Conservation

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    IUCN Red List

    • Endangered

    CITES

    • Appendix II

    Conservation

    • Chinese Wildlife Conservation Law: Category 2

    • Protected under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong.

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