Cheilinus undulatus or humphead wrasse are a stunning giant reef fish found throughout the Indo-Pacific ocean, all the way from the east coast of Africa to the south of Japan. They can reach up to 7ft long, and 420 lbs. In their early lives, they frolic in the thicket of staghorn coral. As they age, they commonly revisit familiar sites on the outer slopes of reefs (Biological Diversity, 2021)

 Males exhibit stunning bright blue, green, and blue-purple colors, while females are an astounding red-orange (Biological Diversity, 2021). Their colors change throughout their lifetime, as does the hump on their heads which become more distinct as they grow older. They typically live for at least 30 years and start reproducing at 6 years old.

The humphead wrasse has a mutualistic relationship with the reefs they inhabit, as they are one of the very few species that consume several toxic species such as the crown-of-thorns starfish, that are known to destroy reefs. They keep the populations of these harmful species in check, which benefits the whole coral reef ecosystem (National Aquarium, 2021).