Clown coris (Coris aygula) is a saltwater species recorded in Taiwan. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 2–30 m.
Scientific name: Coris aygula · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 120 cm
The clown coris is a labrid that lives near sand or rubble patches of exposed outer reef flats, lagoon reefs and seaward reefs, often in semi-exposed surge zones. Adults are solitary and juveniles are common in shallow tide pools; it feeds mainly on hard-shelled invertebrates including crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins. Its range runs from the Red Sea and East Africa east to the Line and Ducie Islands, north to southern Japan and south to Lord Howe and Rapa Islands. It is a minor commercial and game species and is also sold for aquariums, at a very high price. Maximum recorded length is about 120 cm total length, though the identity of specimens exceeding 70 cm has been questioned in the literature. It is a tropical species, found from 2 to 30 m at 24–28°C and recorded from 30°N to 30°S. Trophic level is 3.7, fishing vulnerability high to very high at 71 of 100, and resilience very low. IUCN lists it as least concern.
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