Western king wrasse (Coris auricularis)

General data
- Main name: Western king wrasse
- Climates: Subtropical
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Australia & Oceania
- Distribution: Indian ocean, Great Australian Bight
Classification
- Genus: Coris - Rainbow wrasses
- Family: Labridae - Wrasses
- Order: Labriformes - Wrasses
- Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
Juveniles are dark reddish to black with a narrow white stripe above the lateral line and a broader white mid-lateral stripe. Females (intermediate phase) are pale greenish to pinkish with a reddish-brown tapering stripe above the lateral line. Large males (terminal phase) are salmon pink to purplish, with a paler chin and throat, a bluish-black mark on the rear of the gill cover and a broad white vertical band on the abdomen. Lives in small haremic groups with a dominant male controlling several juveniles and females. Eastern Indian Ocean, Australia. Max length: 40 cm