Halichoeres trispilus Randall & Smith, 1982

Mulochau, Thierry, Durville, Patrick, Fricke, Ronald, Plantard, Patrick, Loisil, Camille, Broudic, Léo & Martigné, Jean-Claude, 2021, First records of nine fish species from Réunion Island observed during an inventory of the fauna of mesophotic zone, Cybium 45 (4), pp. 265-274 : 268

Halichoeres trispilus Randall & Smith, 1982

This species was observed six times in zone 1 on the west coast at a depth between 85 and 110 m, and once more in the context of another research program in September 2020 (HydMer) in the northwest of the island at a depth of 68 m ( Tab. I, Fig. 8 ). The individuals were adults, measuring approximately 8 cm (TL), with a light pinkish body colouration and alternating horizontal bluish white and red stripes on the head. The specimen in figure 8 had several black patches basally along the whole length of its dorsal, while other individuals had only a single black patch anteriorly on their dorsal fin. These differences in body coloration and number of black patches are probably due to sexual dimorphism ( Taquet and Diringer, 2012).

Figures

Figure 8. – Halichoeres trispilus, 95 m Bay of Saint-Leu (zone 1), 15 Dec. 2020. Photograph by P. Plantard.