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Fish4Life provides everything you need to enjoy seafood responsibly. Explore information and practical tips for safe and sustainable seafood consumption, and help protect marine life by reporting undersized or illegally traded seafood.

Cleaver wrasse
Xyrichtis novacula
Κατσούλα

Sustainability Status

Currently considered sustainable

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Help us protect our seas by reporting illegal or undersized fish that you see in markets, restaurants or fishing boats
Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Legal

Minimum Size

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

17 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

June – August

Advice for Consumption

Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable.

Greek legislation does not establish legal minimum size and no closed season, leaving juvenile and spawning fish completely unprotected.

Choose responsibly by respecting sustainable size limits and avoiding consumption during the breeding season.

Archipelagos Tips

Choosing larger, mature fish helps reduce fishing pressure on juvenile individuals.

Common names

FR

Rason

it

Pesce pettine

es

Galán

tr

Ustura baligi

pt

Bodião-de-areia

nl

Parelmoer-scheermesvis

de

–

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Elongated, narrow body with a steep knife-like head profile. Depending on the sex the colouration of this species greatly differs. Sometimes marked with grey or green stripes and the head features blueish vertical lines.

It looks like Xyrichtys martinicensis (Rosy razorfish). This species can be distinguished by its pink-grey coloration with dark-edged scales, and its lack of a steep forehead. It shares the elongated, laterally compressed body shape characteristic of Xyrichtys novacula.

Did you know?

Cleaver razorfish are named after their sharp heads that they use to dive into sand when startled, and they build their nests with coral debris!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Feeds on mollusks, crabs, and shrimps.

habitat

Demersal.
Found in shallow areas with sandy bottoms, near seagrass beds and corals.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 38 cm
Max weight: 140 g
Depth range: 1-90 m

breeding & Growth

Protogynous hermaphrodite (starts as female, changes into males later).
Batch spawner that spawns between July through August.
Growth Rate: Slow-moderate (k = 0.26yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 8 years
Max reported age: 15 years
Distribution: Mediterranean, Eastern Atlantic, and Western Atlantic.

appearance changes

Sexual dimorphism (females and males are distinctly different). Young females are white-pinkish, with a red spot underneath. Older females are pink to reddish, with a yellowish head. During the transition period, the body and head turn purple and the back becomes reddish. Males change color, with a green body and head, darker on the back, and yellowish to green on the side.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 1,500-3,000 eggs
Reproductive frequency: Numerous times within spawning season.
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If you’d like to learn more about the work of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, please visit our website: https://archipelago.gr/

Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal

Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation

Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Bad choice – Consumption of this species is unsustainable

Health concerns –
Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health

Alien / Invasive – This species is not from this region and can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and threaten local biodiversity, so it is sustainable to eat

Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms