Seagrass wrasse

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn | author1 = Craig, M. | author2 = Rocha, L. | author3 = Liu, M. | name-list-style = amp | year = 2010 | title = Novaculichthys macrolepidotus | page = e.T187763A8624473 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187763A8624473.en | accessdate = 23 January 2020}}

| image = Seagrass Wrasse, Novaculoides macrolepidotus, Emily Bay, Kingston 2899, Norfolk Island imported from iNaturalist photo 120523955.jpg

| parent_authority = J. E. Randall & Earle, 2004

| display_parents = 2

| taxon = Novaculoides macrolepidotus

| authority = (Bloch, 1791)

| synonyms = * Labrus macrolepidotus Bloch, 1791

• Novaculichthys macrolepidotus (Bloch, 1791)
• Labrus arago Quoy & Gaimard, 1824
• Julis trimaculata Valenciennes, 1839
• Novacula julioides Bleeker, 1851

| synonyms_ref =

}}

The seagrass wrasse (Novaculoides macrolepidotus) is a species of wrasse native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It can be found in lagoons and mangrove forests in seagrass beds or on sandy areas with plentiful algal growth. It occurs at depths from the surface to {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}}. This species grows to {{convert|16|cm|in|abbr=on}} in total length. It can be found in the aquarium trade. This species is the only known member of its genus.{{FishBase |genus= Novaculoides|species= macrolepidotus| month = August | year = 2013}} The juveniles and smaller adults of this species are Batesian mimics of the venomous waspfish in the genus Ablabys. When threatened, these fish dive headfirst into the sea grass or sea weed beds they inhabit.{{cite web | author = Bray, D.J. | year = 2019 | title = Novaculoides macrolepidotus | work = Fishes of Australia | access-date = 23 January 2020 | url = http://136.154.202.208/home/species/258 | publisher = Museums Victoria}}