Coris sandeyeri

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	PERCIFORMES	LABRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Coris sandeyeri

Species Authority:

(Hector, 1884)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Eastern king wrasse, Sandager's wrasse

Synonym/s:

Coris rex Ramsay & Ogilby, 1886

Coris sandageri (Hector, 1884)

Coris trimaculata Ogilby, 1888

Cymolutes sandeyeri Hector, 1884

Taxonomic Notes:

There has been some confusion with the naming of this species. Hector in 1884 named this species as Cymolutes sandeyeri after the collector F.S. Sandeyer, however, this was a misspelling of the collector's real name, Sandager. Since then, both the names sandeyeri and sandageri have been used by various authors, although Mr. Sandager in a paper in 1888 on fishes of Mokohinau Islands listed this species as Cymolutes sandageri. Randall (1999), noted that although the name sandeyeri is inappropriate, the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature indicate that this name correct. See also Parenti and Randall (2000). From Eschmeyer's Catalogue of Fishes, the current status is: Coris sandeyeri (Hector 1884). Sandageri should therefore not be used (K. Carpenter pers. comm.. 2009).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2010
Assessor/s:	Choat, J.H. & Pollard, D.
Reviewer/s:	Sadovy, Y. & Carpenter, K.E.
Contributor/s:
Justification: Although this species is uncommon to rare off the coastline of south-eastern Australia, it is more common around reefs in the northern Tasman Sea, and quite common in north-eastern New Zealand. As it is well protected in a number of marine protected areas throughout its range, and there are no specific threats to its populations, it is therefore listed as Least Concern globally.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	In the south-western Pacific, this species is found along the mainland coastline of south-eastern Australia (New South Wales and probably northern Victoria), in the northern Tasman sea (at Lord Howe Island, Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, and Norfolk Island), and in north-eastern New Zealand (especially around the adjacent islands) and the Kermadec Islands.
Countries:	Native: Australia; New Zealand; Norfolk Island
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – southwest; Pacific – western central
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Little information is available on the status of populations of this species off the coastline of New South Wales, where it is relatively rare (Coleman 1980). Parker (1999) found it to be rare in 10-20 m depths around the Julian Rocks off Byron Bay in northern New South Wales. However, it is much more common in north-eastern New Zealand, where it occurs at densities of 0.8-12.6 fish per 100 m². The highest densities (12.6 per 100 m²) were recorded off the Poor Knights Islands (Choat and Ayling 1987, Denny 2005), and densities there ranged from 4.4 to 7.2 per 100 m² during the period from 1975 to 1982 (Choat et al. 1988).
Population Trend:	Stable

Population:

Little information is available on the status of populations of this species off the coastline of New South Wales, where it is relatively rare (Coleman 1980). Parker (1999) found it to be rare in 10-20 m depths around the Julian Rocks off Byron Bay in northern New South Wales. However, it is much more common in north-eastern New Zealand, where it occurs at densities of 0.8-12.6 fish per 100 m². The highest densities (12.6 per 100 m²) were recorded off the Poor Knights Islands (Choat and Ayling 1987, Denny 2005), and densities there ranged from 4.4 to 7.2 per 100 m² during the period from 1975 to 1982 (Choat et al. 1988).

Population Trend:

Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This sub-tropical to warm temperate species inhabits coastal and island waters over algal-covered rocks, sandy substrates, deeper rocky reefs and coral reef habitats (Pogonoski et al. 2002). It occurs in small aggregations of juvenile to sub-adult individuals over deep sand slopes from 20-40 m, with larger adults occurring nearby (Kuiter 1993). It is common in the lagoons at Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, where it occurs around coral outcrops and over coral rubble (Gill and Reader 1992). In New Zealand it is often found over sand patches, but tends to avoid large expanses of purely rocky habitat (Ayling and Cox 1982). It is active during the day and sleeps buried in the sand at night (Ayling and Cox 1982, Edgar 1997). Juveniles are cleaners of other fishes, and adults feed on small benthic invertebrates, and especially crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms and worms (Doak 1972, Ayling and Cox 1982). It is probably a protogynous hermaphrodite, and the males maintain territories during the spawning season (December to March), courting any females that may be in the area at the time (Ayling and Cox 1982). Its eggs and larvae are probably planktonic. Males may reach an age of 22 years (Choat unpublished), and the spearfishing record for this species in New Zealand was 2.7 kg (Doak 1972).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

This sub-tropical to warm temperate species inhabits coastal and island waters over algal-covered rocks, sandy substrates, deeper rocky reefs and coral reef habitats (Pogonoski et al. 2002). It occurs in small aggregations of juvenile to sub-adult individuals over deep sand slopes from 20-40 m, with larger adults occurring nearby (Kuiter 1993). It is common in the lagoons at Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, where it occurs around coral outcrops and over coral rubble (Gill and Reader 1992). In New Zealand it is often found over sand patches, but tends to avoid large expanses of purely rocky habitat (Ayling and Cox 1982).

It is active during the day and sleeps buried in the sand at night (Ayling and Cox 1982, Edgar 1997). Juveniles are cleaners of other fishes, and adults feed on small benthic invertebrates, and especially crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms and worms (Doak 1972, Ayling and Cox 1982).

It is probably a protogynous hermaphrodite, and the males maintain territories during the spawning season (December to March), courting any females that may be in the area at the time (Ayling and Cox 1982). Its eggs and larvae are probably planktonic.

Males may reach an age of 22 years (Choat unpublished), and the spearfishing record for this species in New Zealand was 2.7 kg (Doak 1972).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no known major threats to this species, though it is taken by spearfishers and may also be taken as a bycatch in recreational line fisheries. Because of its relative rarity in New South Wales coastal waters, the Underwater Research Group of New South Wales requested that this species be placed on this state's Protected Species list, but examination of spearfishing competition records indicated that there had been no declines in either fish numbers or fish sizes in these competition catches, so it was not listed (Smith and Pollard 1996).

Major Threat(s):

There are no known major threats to this species, though it is taken by spearfishers and may also be taken as a bycatch in recreational line fisheries. Because of its relative rarity in New South Wales coastal waters, the Underwater Research Group of New South Wales requested that this species be placed on this state's Protected Species list, but examination of spearfishing competition records indicated that there had been no declines in either fish numbers or fish sizes in these competition catches, so it was not listed (Smith and Pollard 1996).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There are no species specific conservation measures in place for this species, though it occurs within a number of Marine Protected Areas within its distribution. The species was previously assessed as being Data Deficient for the Australian region by Pogonoski et al. (2002).

Conservation Actions:

There are no species specific conservation measures in place for this species, though it occurs within a number of Marine Protected Areas within its distribution. The species was previously assessed as being Data Deficient for the Australian region by Pogonoski et al. (2002).

Citation:	Choat, J.H. & Pollard, D. 2010. Coris sandeyeri. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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