Blackspot tuskfish (Choerodon schoenleinii) is a saltwater species recorded in Hong Kong, Singapore. It is mainly found over reef, sand, at depths of 10–60 m.
Scientific name: Choerodon schoenleinii · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 100 cm
The Blackspot tuskfish is a heavyweight wrasse of the genus Choerodon, marked by a bold dark blotch on the upper caudal peduncle. Its range runs from the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia and Indonesia, with a report from Mauritius. It lives alone, working coral reef, rubble and reef-edge sand between about 10 and 60 m, and crushes crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins with powerful pharyngeal teeth; overseas studies have filmed it carrying shells to a chosen stone anvil and smashing them open, making it one of the very few tool-using fishes. It is a familiar sight in Hong Kong's live fish markets, usually sold fresh. Around Singapore the better chances are on the deeper reef slopes and reef fringes of the southern islands, Pulau Hantu and Sultan Shoal, mostly from a boat, and its jaws demand a heavy leader because a hooked fish must be pulled clear of the reef at once. Maximum 100 cm total length and 15.5 kg. IUCN lists it as Near Threatened.
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