Xyrichtys

Xyrichtys is a genus of wrasses native to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, where they are found in sandy-bottomed habitats. They are commonly known as razorfishes, as they are very laterally compressed with a sharp bony ridge at the front of their heads. This adaptation allows them to burrow very quickly into the sand at any sign of danger.

Xyrichtys
Rosy razorfish (X. martinicensis)
Pearly razorfish (X. novacula)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Labriformes
Family:	Labridae
Tribe:	Novaculini
Genus:	Xyrichtys G. Cuvier, 1814
Type species
Coryphaena novacula Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms
Hemipteronotus Lacépède, 1801 (suppressed in ICZN Opinion 1799) Novacula G. Cuvier, 1815 Amorphocephalus S. Bowdich, 1825 Xyrula D. S. Jordan, 1890

Species

The 11 currently recognized species in this genus are:^[1]

• Xyrichtys blanchardi (Cadenat & Marchal, 1963) (marmalade razorfish)
• Xyrichtys incandescens A. J. Edwards & Lubbock, 1981 (Brazilian razorfish)
• Xyrichtys javanicus (Bleeker, 1862) (Java razorfish)
• Xyrichtys martinicensis Valenciennes, 1840 (rosy razorfish)
• Xyrichtys mundiceps T. N. Gill, 1862 (Cape razorfish)
• Xyrichtys novacula (Linnaeus, 1758) (pearly razorfish)
• Xyrichtys rajagopalani Venkataramanujam, Venkataramani & Ramanathan, 1987 (Rajagopalan's razorfish)
• Xyrichtys sanctaehelenae (Günther, 1868) (yellow razorfish)
• Xyrichtys splendens Castelnau, 1855 (green razorfish)
• Xyrichtys victori Wellington, 1992 (Galapagos razorfish)
• Xyrichtys wellingtoni G. R. Allen & D. R. Robertson, 1995 (Clipperton razorfish)

Gallery

• 
  X. splendens
• 
  X. splendens illustration