Animalia Life

Semicossyphus pulcher
FAMILY
Labridae
TAXONOMY
Semicossyphus pulcher Ayres, 1854, San Diego, California, United States.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Labre californien; Spanish: Vieja de California.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Length 36 in (91 cm). Large teeth are a trademark. Initialphase adults are orange with a white chin, terminal-phase adults retain orange coloration at midbody at white chins, but have black heads and rear bodies.
DISTRIBUTION
Subtropical waters in the Gulf of California, and off the west coast of North America, from Monterey Bay in central California, United States, south about 600 mi (966 km) to Guadalupe Island, Mexico.
HABITAT
Lives among kelp beds, in shallow, rocky-bottomed waters.
BEHAVIOR
Sex reversal is common, with females developing into males as they grow older.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on mollusks, crabs, sea urchins, and other invertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Protygynous, mating takes place each summer. No parental care.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Commercial food fish.

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