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Labrus merula Linnaeus, 1758

Brown wrasse
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Labrus merula   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Labrus merula (Brown wrasse)
Labrus merula
Picture by Pontes, M.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Labridae (Wrasses)
Etymology: Labrus: Name from Latin 'labrum' for lip, rim or edge; referring to the big lips of the fishes of the genus (from Ovid and Pliny according to Petrus Artedi).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated. Subtropical; 46°N - 20°N, 32°W - 36°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: Portugal to Morocco and Azores. Also in the Mediterranean.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 17.5, range 15 - 20 cm
Max length : 45.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4742); common length : 40.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4742); max. reported age: 17 years (Ref. 4742)

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults are found around rocks and seaweeds. Sometime schooling, more solitary when older. Feed on sea urchins, ophiuroids, mollusks, crabs and worms. They reach maturity when 2 years old (15-20 cm). Spawn during February to May in western Mediterranean (Ref. 4742). Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Males build dish shaped nests and guard the eggs (Ref. 205).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Males build dish shaped nests and guard the eggs (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Westneat, Mark | Collaborators

Bauchot, M.-L., 1987. Poissons osseux. p. 891-1421. In W. Fischer, M.L. Bauchot and M. Schneider (eds.) Fiches FAO d'identification pour les besoins de la pêche. (rev. 1). Méditerranée et mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37. Vol. II. Commission des Communautés Européennes and FAO, Rome. (Ref. 3397)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 10 May 2008

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
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Predators
Ecology
Ecology
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Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
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Maturity/Gills rel.
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References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | DORIS | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 17.6 - 21.3, mean 19.2 °C (based on 465 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5625   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00955 (0.00806 - 0.01132), b=3.07 (3.02 - 3.12), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.6   ±0.5 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.22-0.36; tmax=17).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Very high vulnerability (82 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 25 [12, 52] mg/100g; Iron = 0.534 [0.299, 0.999] mg/100g; Protein = 19.3 [16.5, 21.5] %; Omega3 = 0.23 [0.14, 0.38] g/100g; Selenium = 18.3 [9.3, 33.8] μg/100g; VitaminA = 55.2 [17.2, 220.3] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.799 [0.534, 1.308] mg/100g (wet weight);