Humphead Wrasse
Also known as: Mameng (Filipino local name) · Napoleon wrasse · Maori wrasse · Cheilinus undulatus (scientific name)
Definition
The Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), known in Palawan and other Philippine areas as mameng, is the largest species of wrasse, growing up to two meters and around 190 kilograms, recognizable by the prominent hump on adult foreheads and thick lips. It prowls coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, including Philippine waters, preying on hard-shelled animals such as mollusks and echinoderms, including crown-of-thorns starfish. Slow to mature and heavily fished for the live reef food fish trade, it is listed as Endangered and its trade is controlled under CITES. (Wikipedia)
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Humphead wrasse |
| Wikidata | Q179377 |
| DBpedia | N/A |
| ProductOntology | N/A |
| Wiktionary | N/A |
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) | N/A |
| MeSH | N/A |
| NCBI Taxonomy | Cheilinus undulatus |
| AGROVOC | N/A |
| Google Scholar | Cheilinus undulatus humphead wrasse mameng Philippines live reef fish trade |
| ConceptNet | fish |
| OpenCyc | N/A |
Also Known As
- Mameng (Filipino local name)
- Napoleon wrasse
- Maori wrasse
- Cheilinus undulatus (scientific name)
Examples and Analogies
- The Reef’s Bouncer: A full-grown mameng bullying a crown-of-thorns starfish off the coral is one of the few natural checks on that coral-eating pest, making the wrasse a bouncer keeping the reef club orderly.
- A Sex-Changing Life: Humphead wrasses are born female and some later transform into terminal males, a life-history switch that means heavy fishing of big males can skew whole populations.
Usage Scenarios
1. Dive Tourism Highlight
Encounters with tame resident mameng at Philippine dive sites such as Apo Reef and Tubbataha are signature experiences that anchor reef ecotourism value.
2. Fisheries Regulation
Bureau of Fisheries rules restrict the capture, sale, and export of humphead wrasse, and compliance checks operate in fish markets and live-fish trading hubs.
Strategies
- Enforce size, season, and trade restrictions so remaining populations can rebuild, prioritizing marine protected areas where the species can live long lives.
- Reduce destructive capture methods like cyanide use in the live reef food fish trade through monitoring and alternative livelihood programs.
- Train dive operators and fishers to report mameng sightings, building the distribution data used to site protections.
Security and Safety Measures
- International trade requires CITES permits, and unauthorized export of mameng is smuggling under Philippine law.
- Consumers should avoid ordering humphead wrasse in live-seafood restaurants, as demand drives illegal capture.
- Divers should not touch, chase, or feed wild mameng; habituation to humans increases their vulnerability to spearfishers.
Historical Context
The species was described by Achille Valenciennes in 1840. Across Southeast Asia, the rise of the luxury live reef food fish trade from the 1980s devastated humphead populations, and the Philippines was both a source and transit country. In the 2000s the species gained CITES Appendix II listing, and Philippine authorities issued specific fisheries regulations protecting mameng, alongside community-managed sanctuaries in the Sulu Sea and Palawan.
Challenges and Controversies
Live Fish Trade Pressure
High prices in overseas seafood markets sustain illegal fishing of mameng, and corruption in monitoring chains weakens enforcement.
Poaching Incursions
Foreign vessels caught poaching in Philippine waters, including cases at Tubbataha, have seized humphead wrasse along with other protected marine life, provoking diplomatic protests.
Related Topic
Apo Reef