About Halichoeres claudia Randall & Rocha, 2009
Halichoeres claudia, commonly known as the Christmas wrasse, is a species of wrasse belonging to the family Labridae. It is widely distributed across the southwestern Pacific, where it occurs from French Polynesia to the Great Barrier Reef. Isolated populations of this species can also be found in the Indian Ocean, at Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling. For a long time, this species was classified as Halichoeres ornatissimus. However, genetic evidence has shown that H. ornatissimus is only found in Hawaii, while H. claudia is the widespread species found across the western Pacific. The species was named to honor Claudia Rocha for her contributions to the field of ichthyology.
