Fish Identification Photos: Cape Razorfish, Xyrichtys mundiceps: The Cape Razorfish has a head profile that is very steep, curved, with a fleshy keel at the front. The head is prominent, being about 25 percent of the total fish length and the body is long. The depth is 23 percent of the total length.

The adult Cape Razorfish has very small eyes. The fins are pale, with the anal fin originating under the last dorsal spine. The caudal fin is slightly concave, and the pelvic fins are pointed.

The male Cape Razorfish has a steeper forehead and deeper body than the female. The male has a tan-brown overall coloration with narrow blue and violet vertical lines on each scale that become more distinct and broadened at the base of the tail. The male Cape Razorfish also has a dark spot at the base of the tail (as pictured here), three concentric blue lines on the outer part of the operculum, thee narrow blue lines running down and forward from the eye across the cheek, and the lower jaw and the lower head has blue stripes and lines.

The female Cape Razorfish has a uniform orange-brown color with an often prominent white patch over the abdomen. Due to the territorial range and the unique coloration pattern of the Cape Razorfish, it is easy to identify and not easily confused with other species with the possible exception of the Peacock Razorfish, Iniistius pavo (no tail spot with a separate and elongated first dorsal spine).

The Cape Razorfish adult male can reach 6 inches in length. The Cape Razorfish is benthic and normally found in the first 100 feet of the water column over fine sandy bottoms.

In Mexican waters the Cape Razorfish has a limited range, being found between Loreto and Cabo San Lucas along the eastern coast of the Baja California peninsula and south of Acapulco along the coast of the Mexican mainland. The Cape Razorfish is generally too small and rare to be of much interest to fishermen.

The Cape Razorfish is a member of the Labridae or wrasse family which are known in Mexico as doncellas and señoritas. The razorfishes have strong compressed heads and bodies and very steep head profiles with a fleshy longitudinal keel at the front. The eyes are in the upper half of the head. The dorsal fin is continuous with nine spines that are regularly-spaced. The lateral line is broken with two sections. They are diurnal and opportunistic feeders, living on open sand and, when approached, dive directly into the sand. Like many other wrasses, razorfish species can have strikingly-different color patterns between males and females. Most wrasses have the ability to change sex, leading to a variety of differing appearances within the same species. There are 16 known global members of the genus Xyrichtys. All are found in tropical to warm temperate waters. The Cape Razorfish is the only member of its genus in coastal Mexican waters, but one other razorfish, the Peacock Razorfish, Iniistius pavo, can be found in the same waters.

Cape Razorfish, Xyrichtys mundiceps: The top photo is of a male about 6 inches long. The middle photo is a female about 5 inches long. The bottom photo is of a juvenile about 4 inches long. Fish collections made in 10 feet of water at the rocks, Playa Tecolote, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Photos and description courtesy of Dr. Benjamin Victor, Coralreeffish.com.