Description:

Dorsal spines: 9; Dorsal rays: 12-13; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 11-12.

An elongate, very slender wrasse with a long snout and large lips. Colour varies: green, brown, orange-brown or yellow sometimes with a broad dark mid-lateral stripe.  
Juveniles are mottled green or brown. Large males often develop bright yellow, orange, black, white, or multi-coloured blotches on the sides.

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 50cm TL. Commonly to 35cm TL.

Inhabits seagrass beds and algal-covered flats, occasionally in lagoon and seaward reefs (depth 1-30m).  Juveniles secretive in seagrasses or attached Sargassum; adults 
usually in small loose aggregations, but occasionally form large schools to spawn. Feeds mostly on hard-shelled invertebrates including molluscs, crustaceans and sea urchins. 
Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding.
 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in nets, but is an uncommon component of the catch.

Bray, D.J. (2018). Cheilio inermis in Fishes of Australia, http://136.154.202.208/home/species/1919 (29/02/20).
Cheung, W.W.L. et al. (2010). Cheilio inermis . The IUCN Red List 2010: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187383A8520063.en. (28/02/20).
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2019). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Cheilio-inermis (04/06/19).
Randall, J.E. (1986). Labridae. p. 683-706. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
 

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Cheilio inermis, Cigar wrasse. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/cheilio-inermis-forsskal-1775/ (edited 09/07/22).