Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum
Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum, Initial Phase (IP), Female. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, November 2009. Length: 23 cm (9.1 inches). Note dark spot at top of tail base. Identification courtesy of Dr. Benjamin Victor, coralreeffish.com, and reconfirmed by H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.
Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum, Initial Phase (IP), Female. Fish caught from coastal waters off Point Palmilla, Baja California Sur, February 2016. Length: 19.5 cm (7.7 inches).
Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum, Terminal Phase (TP), Male. Fish caught from coastal waters off Point Palmilla, Baja California Sur, February 2016. Length: 21.8 cm (8.6 inches).
Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum, Terminal Phase (TP), Male. Fish caught from coastal waters off La Playita, Baja California Sur, August 2022. Length: 22.2 cm (8.7 inches).
Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum, Terminal Phase (TP), Male. Fish caught from coastal waters off Loreto, Baja California Sur, July 2018. Length: 23.6 cm (9.3 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.
Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum, Terminal Phase (TP), Male. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, November 2009. Length: 25 cm (10 inches). Identification courtesy of Dr. Benjamin Victor, coralreeffish.com, and reconfirmed by H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.
Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum, Terminal Phase (TP), Male. Fish caught from coastal waters off Loreto, Baja California Sur, April 2016. Length: 27.3 cm (10.7 inches). This is a length extension and also a range extension for this species.
The Bleeding Wrasse, Polylepion cruentum, is a member of the Wrasse or Labridae Family, that is known in Mexico as vieja sangradora. Globally, there are three species in the genus Polylepion, one of which is found in Mexican waters, this species in the Pacific Ocean.
The Bleeding Wrasse has a moderately elongated oval body that taper significantly toward the tail and have a depth that is 30% to 32% of standard length. They have an orange-red coloration with a golden-orange belly, a white chin, and a prominent wide silvery stripe along the center of their flank. They have two golden-orange bands that lead into and under their eyes and a third band that extends from the corner of their mouth. Their anal fin is transparent with a yellow band at the margin; their dorsal fin is orange-red with a dark blotch between the first and third spines; their pectoral fins are uniformly orange-red; and their pelvic fins are transparent. They have a pointed head with a large mouth and red eyes. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 11 or 12 rays; their caudal fin is straight, their dorsal fin has 11 spines and 11 rays; and their pectoral fins have 2 spines and 17 to 19 rays. They have 15 to 20 gill rakers.
The Bleeding Wrasse is a deep water species found on the bottom over rubble and isolated rocky reefs adjacent to sandy areas at depths between 130 m (430 feet) and 235 m (775 feet). They reach a maximum of 27.3 cm (10.7 inches) in length as established by a fish I caught that is photographed above. They feed diurnally on small crustaceans, sea urchins, mollusks, and brittle stars. The Bleeding Wrasse is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Bleeding Wrasse is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean however, that have a limited and poorly documented range. They are known along the extreme southwest coast of Baja and in the southern Sea of Cortez. An isolated population has also been documented in Costa Rica.
The Bleeding Wrasse is an easy fish to identify due to its unique markings, thus it cannot be confused with any other species.
From a conservation perspective the Bleeding Wrasse is currently considered Data Deficient. They are small in stature and and too rare to be of interest to most.