Yellowpatch Razorfish

Iniistius melanopus

The Yellowpatch Razorfish, a member of the Labridae family, is a marine ray-finned fish found in the Indo-West Pacific region. It can grow up to 26.0 cm in length and is easily identifiable by a thin blue line running from the front of its eye to the end of its mouth. Larger individuals also feature a distinctive black elongate spot at the end of the anal fin. This species typically inhabits the upper parts of sand and mud banks, often seen on reef flat areas before they slope downwards. It is usually found at depths ranging from 6 to 15 meters, although it can be found as deep as 64 meters. The Yellowpatch Razorfish is often seen in spread-out groups and can be found in the same areas as X. pentadactylus, although it grows larger and tends to dominate these areas. At night or when alarmed, it dives into the sand for safety, but the largest males are more likely to swim over large areas and quickly move away when approached by divers. The species exhibits distinct pairing during breeding. According to the IUCN Red List, the Yellowpatch Razorfish is categorized as Least Concern.