Humphead (Napoleon) Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus): Breeding Notes

Cheilinus undulatus is the largest wrasse, IUCN Endangered and CITES II. It is a protogynous, aggregation-spawning species reaching over 2 m, and cannot be kept or bred at home.

Overview

Cheilinus undulatus, the humphead or Napoleon wrasse, is the largest member of the family Labridae. According to Wikipedia, males reach up to 229 cm and 191 kg, the species can live around 30 years, and the eggs are about 0.65 mm in diameter, spherical and unpigmented. Its enormous adult size alone places it entirely outside home aquaria.

Sexing

The humphead wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite: Wikipedia reports that individuals reach sexual maturity at five to seven years, with some becoming male at about nine years old. Large terminal males develop the species' prominent forehead hump.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Wikipedia notes the species forms local spawning aggregations at specific times. Many fish gather at traditional sites and release gametes into open water; these aggregations are themselves vulnerable to fishing, which compounds the species' decline.

Egg & Fry Care

The tiny pelagic eggs drift in the plankton and hatch into planktonic larvae. While Wikipedia mentions a developing export market for juveniles, it does not indicate successful large-scale aquaculture or captive breeding, so the species is not propagated for the hobby.

Common Challenges

Conservation status, protected legal status under CITES, immense adult size, slow maturity and aggregation spawning together make this species impossible and inappropriate to breed at home; only the largest public aquariums can even house it.