Lord Howe Island Double-header Wrasse

Photo: Whylie Walton · © all rights reserved

The double-header wrasse is an endemic species found only in Lord Howe Island's waters, reaching over 1 metre in length and developing a pronounced cranial hump that gives the species its common name. Males in terminal phase display iridescent blue-green flanks and patrol reef territories with territorial authority, and their presence at Ball's Pyramid's upper slopes represents one of the most range-restricted large reef fish in the South Pacific.