Coris

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Coris
Mermaid (Coris julis) transitional form →

Mermaid ( Coris julis ) transitional form Venus symbol (female)→Mars symbol (male)

Systematics
Spinefish (Acanthopterygii)
Perch relatives (Percomorphaceae)
Order : Labriformes
Family : Wrasse (Labridae)
Subfamily : Junker Wrasse (Julidinae)
Genre : Coris
Scientific name
Coris
Lacépède , 1801

Coris ( Synonym : Julis ) is a heterogeneous genus of Junker Wrasse (Julidinae). In German the fish are usually called Junker. Two of the 25 species live in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean , the rest in tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea . Some species have a fairly limited range, others are very widespread.

features

Young fish of the clown junker ( Coris gaimard )

Coris species are ten centimeters to one meter long. Their scales are small and numerous. They have an elongated body, the larger species also have a high-backed body. There is a big difference in the coloration of the juvenile fish and that of the adult fish. The young fish are often very brightly colored.

Way of life

Coris species are mostly found near reefs over sandy and scree bottoms, the females often in small groups, while the males are territorial and defend a territory . They bury themselves in the sandy bottom to sleep or to escape a threat. Sometimes they also prepare places in their territories by removing the stones from the ground. The fish eat a variety of different invertebrates, including hard-shelled molluscs and sea ​​urchins . They use their protruding fangs to turn stones or to pull hermit crabs out of their shells. Young fish and partly also the adults of smaller species work as cleaner fish and clean larger fish of parasites and dead skin residues.

species

Adult clown junker
Mirror- Spotted Wrasse ( Coris aygula )

There is a high probability that the genus is not a monophylum . In a phylogenetic study in which three Coris species were included, these did not form a clade. C. batuensis is in a clade of Halichoeres species, C. gaimard is the sister species of Pseudochoris yamashiroi , C. agyula that of the clade formed by both.

Aquaristics

Young fish of some species, especially those of the clown junker ( Coris gaimard ), are caught and sold as aquarium fish. Since the animals are still growing considerably, most home aquariums are not suitable for them.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ MW Westneat, ME Alfaro: Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the reef fish family Labridae. In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. No. 36, 2005, pp. 370–390, (PDF)

Web links

Commons : Coris  - collection of images, videos and audio files