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) > Xyrichtyinae
Etymology: Iniistius: Latin, in = in + Greek, istion = sail; brevipinnis: Named for its fins being shorter, in general, than those of its congeners (Ref. 93522).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 42 m (Ref. 93522). Tropical
Indian Ocean: South Africa, Eastern Cape, off Port Edward (Ref. 93522).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 93522)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 12; Vertebrae: 25. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D IX,12; A III,12; pectoral rays 12; interrupted lateral line, 21 + 5 pored scales; cheek naked except for 3 rows of small scales below eye, first row of 7 scales curves to behind lower fourth of eye, second one straight with 6 scales, and the third row, 3 embedded scales; 2 small scales dorsoanteriorly on opercle, 1 embedded; scales absent basally on dorsal and anal fins; 17 gill rakers; body depth 3.3 in SL; body compressed, the width 2.6 in body depth; dentition generic; origin of dorsal fin above posterior edge of orbit; first 2 dorsal spines slender, flexible. the first spine slightly longer, 3.0 in head length (HL); third dorsal spine 4.8 in HL; space between first two dorsal spines 2.3 in space between second and third dorsal spines; membrane deeply notched between second and third spines; slightly rounded caudal fin is very short, 1.8 in HL; pelvic fins short, not approaching anus, 1.7 in HL; when fresh, greenish gray, scales below lateral line with a vertically elliptical violet spot, except for a broad bright red area above anal fin and ventral half of caudal peduncle; scales above lateral line with green edges and a faint red spot; anterior edge of head and nape blue; 2 vertical parallel violet lines from chin across lips and fading half distance to eye; median fins blue with yellow markings; pectoral fins translucent, except for black edges on upper three rays, the base violet, with two broad lavender-pink arcs around base; pelvic fins blue; iris yellow with a broad lavender-pink ring. Iniistius griffithsi differs from I. brevipinnis in having a more evenly convex dorsal profile of the head, a shorter suborbital, larger mouth, and its fifth and sixth dorsal and anal rays are the longest, 2.5-2.6 in HL (vs. penultimate rays longest, 3.0 in HL in I. brevipinnis) (Ref. 93522).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).
Randall, J.E., 2013. Seven new species of labrid fishes (Coris, Iniistius, Macropharyngodon, Novaculops, and Pteragogus) from the Western Indian Ocean. J. Ocean Sci. Found. 7:1-43. (Ref. 93522)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01995 (0.00906 - 0.04395), b=3.01 (2.83 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
