Fun Asian Sheepshead Wrasse Facts For Kids

The Asian sheepshead wrasse is a reef fish of the Labridae family, found mainly in Japan and China. Apart from this, they are found in South Korea and North Korea. This species of fish is quite large in size and has a length of about 35.4-39.3 in (90-100 cm). Related to the humphead species, they too possess a distinctive chin. The chin is connected to the large wet scaled face connecting to the forehead.

The Japan-based species of fish are sequential hermaphrodites by nature. All wrasses are born female and then according to the suitable situation, they can change their sex. So, the female Asian sheepshead wrasse turns themselves into a male wrasse. After attaining sexual maturity the mature male and female look for a suitable environment for the gestation period. During the gestation period, the species are mostly found along the coral reefs. The fertilized eggs of these reef fish are found along the waters of coral reefs.

Mostly living in isolation, they are found swimming around the waters of coral reefs and preying on marine species independently.

If you liked reading this, you might want to know about sheepshead fish facts and brown trout facts for more.

‍

What type of animal is an Asian sheepshead wrasse?

The Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) is a wrasse fish. It belongs to the Phylum Chordata.

What class of animal does an Asian sheepshead wrasse belong to?

The Asian sheepshead wrasse belongs to the Actinopterygii class of animal. It belongs to the family Labridae and the genus Semicossyphus with the scientific name Semicossyphus reticulatus.

How many Asian sheepshead wrasses are there in the world?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) falls under the category of Data Deficient. Hence, the exact number of individuals of this species is not known.

Where does an Asian sheepshead wrasse live?

The Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) is mainly an inhabitant within the Asian borders and is found in the water bodies around the Asian countries. These wrasses, one of the largest species, are dominantly found in Japan across the western Pacific Ocean. They are also found along the  Korean Peninsula, including South Korea and North Korea, China, and the Ogasawara Islands.

What is an Asian sheepshead wrasse's habitat?

The wrasse is a fish of the underwater. Mostly found in the territory around the rocky reef areas the Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) is a fish of the subtropical environment. Apart from the reefs, they are found in the open seas and along the subtidal aquatic beds of the ocean.

Who do Asian sheepshead wrasses live with?

The Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) are mostly solitary species. Even though the solitary behavior changes during the breeding season. The pairs of male and female are formed for the sole purpose of spawning. During this time the fishes can be seen in pairs or in groups of pairs.

How long does an Asian sheepshead wrasse live?

One of the largest species of the South Pacific Ocean, the Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus), is known to have quite a long lifespan. The Asian sheepshead wrasse lifespan ranges to about 20 years on average.

How do they reproduce?

Being a sequential hermaphrodite by nature, the reproductive process of the Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) is quite unique and interesting.  Sequential hermaphroditism is the situation where due to the lack of a dominant male fish in the group, the largest female fish changes her sex to a male. The main purpose of this behavior is to mate. The Asian sheepshead wrasse age of sexual maturity is two years at maximum. They can be seen in pairs as well to spawn. Although the breeding rate of these reef fish is quite low.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the conservation status of this species of fish, the Asian sheepshead wrasse(Semicossyphus reticulatus), is listed as Data Deficient. Even though the exact number of these species of fish is not known, there has been a decreasing trend in their population. The major reason for this trend is the change in the biology of the fish.

What do Asian sheepshead wrasses look like?

The Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus), belonging to the family Labridae is a reef fish of the subtropical sea. Predominantly found in Japan, known as kobudai, the Asian sheepshead wrasse possesses few distinctive features. The bump on the forehead is a prominent feature. The body is mostly light pink in color ranging to brown as well. During the breeding season, they tend to adopt a whitish hue near the belly and forehead. The Asian sheepshead wrasse teeth are also a prominent and visible feature seen in the adult.

How cute are they?

The Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) belonging to the family Labridae is difficult to call cute. The Asian sheepshead wrasse fish is rather unappealing by looks and could be termed as scary.

How do they communicate?

Like other fish of the related species, the Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) species of fish uses body vibrations and motions to communicate with the members of the species. Wrasses communicate in order to alert an incoming danger or during the breeding period to mate.

How big is an Asian sheepshead wrasse?

Being one of the largest species of the Labridae family, the Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) is quite large in size. The Japan-based species has an average length of around 35.4-39.3 in (90-100 cm) and is almost half the size of a humphead wrasse.

How fast can an Asian sheepshead wrasse swim?

The definite speed of the Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) is not known.

How much does an Asian sheepshead wrasse weigh?

The Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) has an average weight of 32.4 lb (14.7 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name assigned to the adult female and male Asian sheepshead wrasse. They are usually referred to as male wrasse and female wrasse.

What would you call a baby Asian sheepshead wrasse?

An Asian sheepshead wrasse is usually referred to as a fry.

What do they eat?

The Asian sheepshead wrasse diet consists of mostly Shellfish, blue crab, oysters, clams, crustaceans, and small fish. Apart from this they also feed on zooplankton, polychaetes, and chironomid (midges) larvae.

Are they dangerous?

Even though the sheepshead wrasse is big in size, they are not dangerous by nature. Although they do hunt on the smaller aquatic species.

Would they make a good pet?

The kobudai fish of Japan and China are mostly wildlife fish. Mostly found in the underwater environment, they cannot be kept as pets.  

Did you know...

The wrasse fish is hunted by larger species like sharks.

The fish has a higher value of consumption by humans due to its mild flesh and flavor.

Are all Kobudai fish born female?

Yes, all Kobudai fish are born female. In cases of the absence of male fish, female of this species turns themselves into male fish.

How do Asian sheepshead wrasses mate?

Asian sheepshead wrasses mate like other aquatic species. The male and the female form a pair. The release of the sperms and the eggs happen at the same time.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these pacific salmon facts and herring facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Asian sheepshead wrasses coloring pages.