sharpnose wrasse
Wetmorella nigropinnata (Seale, 1901)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The sharpnose wrasse or possum wrasse (Wetmorella nigropinnata) is a species of wrasse native to the Indo-Pacific region, from the Red Sea across to Pitcairn Island. They live in coral reefs. They were a minor importance for commercial fisheries and it could be found in the aquarium trade.
Wikipedia contributors, Wetmorella nigropinnata; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:01:19.035308+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Wetmorella nigropinnata (Seale, 1901)
- Name authority
- (Seale, 1901)
- Common name
- sharpnose wrasse
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Family
- Labridae
- Genus
- Wetmorella
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- familyLabridae Cuvier, 1816
- subfamilyCheilininae Bleeker, 1862
- genusWetmorella Fowler & Bean, 1928
- speciesWetmorella nigropinnata (Seale, 1901)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Wetmorella. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| whitebanded sharpnose wrasseWetmorella albofasciata Schultz & Marshall, 1954 | LabridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Wetmorella tanakai Randall & Kuiter, 2007 | LabridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Wetmorella ocellata Schultz & Marshall, 1954 Schultz & Marshall, 1954 | synonym |
| Wetmorella philippina bifasciata Schultz & Marshall, 1954 Schultz & Marshall, 1954 | synonym |
| Cheilinus nigropinnatus Seale, 1901 Seale, 1901 | synonym |
| Wetmorella philippina Fowler & Bean, 1928 Fowler & Bean, 1928 | synonym |
| Wetmorella phillipina Fowler & Bean, 1928 Fowler & Bean, 1928 | synonym |
| Wetmorella triocellata Schultz & Marshall, 1954 Schultz & Marshall, 1954 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219067 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:5BXYJ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.