Halichoeres Wrasses Use Tools: New Findings

Five species of wrasse from the New World have been observed using tools to help them access and eat their prey. Anvil use has been documented in 26 of the 550 species of wrasses, but a community science project called Fish Tool Use has just made 16 new observations of New World Halichoeres species, including some first-time videos.

The new observations provide the first evidence of anvil use by Halichoeres brasiliensis, H. poeyi and H. radiatus, and the first video evidence of anvil use by H. garnoti and H. bivittatus. 

This extends the geographic range of known anvil use by wrasses to a new region, the western Atlantic, making this behaviour even more widespread than previously reported.

Wrasses are the only fish known to use tools.

“The present study described new observations of anvil use in the New World Halichoeres clade which extend the known geographical and taxonomic range of this behaviour in wrasses. Anvil use seems to be a versatile skill used in many locations around the world by numerous Labridae to crack open a wide array of hard-shelled prey on multiple surfaces, even during the course of a single anvil use event. 

Anvil use is likely more common among wrasses than currently recorded, and we encourage further in situ observations to fully document the geographic and taxonomic extent of this behaviour. Systematic experiments in which prey is offered to wrasse could achieve this more efficiently than opportunistic observations, especially in species that live in an environment with little hard-shelled prey available. This technique has already been successful in triggering instances of anvil use. 

We also encourage people to contribute to our Fish Tool Use community science program (https://fishtooluse.com). More observations will shed light on the evolution of anvil use behaviour in wrasses and provide insights into its development, costs, and benefits.”

Citation

Tariel-Adam, J., Toledo, J.G., O’Brien, C.E. et al. Tool use by New World Halichoeres wrasses. Coral Reefs (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-025-02633-w

Main image credit Williams, J. T.; Carpenter, K. E.; Van Tassell, J. L.; Hoetjes, P.; Toller, W.; Etnoyer, P.; Smith, M., CC BY 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5, via Wikimedia Commons