fish
Napoleon (humphead) wrasse.
Cheilinus undulatus · also: Maori wrasse, Napoleonfish, Humphead wrasse
The giant of the reef's wrasse clan — a thick-lipped, fleshy-headed fish that can reach two metres and is often curious and approachable. Many begin life as females and only later transform into males, growing the trademark bulging forehead. Prized in the live-reef-fish trade, it has been fished to Endangered status.
Size
Up to ~2.3 m, ~190 kg — the largest wrasse
Weight
Males up to ~180 kg; most well under 100 kg.
Diet
Hard-shelled invertebrates — molluscs, urchins, crustaceans — plus toxic prey like boxfish and crown-of-thorns starfish.
Lifespan
Around 30 years.
Depth
Intertidal to ~100 m; adults favour outer-reef slopes and channels.
Reproduction
Protogynous hermaphrodite (females may become males ~9 yrs); spawns in aggregations.
Snorkel or dive
Dive
Best season
Year-round
Conservation
Endangered (CITES II)
How to recognise it
Massive size; bulbous forehead hump in adults; thick lips; maze-like markings around the eyes.
Behaviour
Curious, slow-cruising reef giant; often approaches divers; protogynous hermaphrodite.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Reliable in Ari Atoll (Maaya Thila, Fish Head) and channel/thila sites; Laamu has healthy numbers.
Recorded at
Atolls
Conservation
Overfishing for the live reef food-fish trade, cyanide and spearfishing; CITES Appendix II.
IUCN · Endangered (CITES II)
Watch them responsibly
Enjoy its curiosity but never feed or hand-bait it; keep movements slow.
Long-lived (30+ years) and slow to mature — highly vulnerable to the live-reef-fish trade.
One of the most valuable single fish in the live-reef trade — the core driver of its decline.
Want to dive with napoleon (humphead) wrasse?
Our Maldives specialists match you to the right atoll, season and resort.
Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.