Occurrence of the Mardi Gras wrasse, Halichoeres burekae (Teleostei: Labridae) in the Alacranes Reef, off northern Yucatan Peninsula

Abstract

The Mardi Gras wrasse, Halichoeres burekae, is a planktivorous fish considered to be endemic to the Gulf of Mexico and recently described. It was previously known only from the Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary (USA) and Veracruz, (Mexico). We recorded Halichoeres burekae (initial female [50–70 mm TL] and terminal male [60–90 mm TL] phases) in the Alacranes Reef, a reef platform located off northern Yucatan Peninsula, southern Gulf of Mexico. This fish is relatively common in shallow (2 m) and deep (25 m) waters in the Alacranes Reef, where it forms small (15 individuals) to large (200 individuals) aggregations. This record represents a range extension for H. burekae and indicates a general lack of knowledge about the southern Gulf of Mexico reef fish fauna.