Facts: The Ornate Wrasse

The ornate wrasse is a very colorful marine fish that occurs in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and throughout most of the Mediterranean Sea. Their Atlantic range is from Portugal to Senegal and the Cape Verde Islands. These fish inhabit shallow coastal water, typically from 3 to 200 feet deep. They prefer rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and macro-algae habitats. They also occur near shipwrecks and jetties. These wrasses undergo several color changes as they grow, with males being especially vivid. They are protogenous hermaphrodites, meaning that they are initially females, later changing to males. The females are greenish-brown with five bluish vertical stripes. Females have a black spot beneath the central dorsal fin. The males are yellowish-green with a single blue band behind the pectoral fin, often with a red outline. Males have a deeply forked tail and a reddish head with blue markings. Ornate wrasses can grow to about 8 inches long. Juveniles can act as cleaner fish. Adults typically feed on small crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates. Females and juveniles tend to form small groups, while males are solitary, except during the breeding season when a single male can be seen guarding a small harem of females. Spawning typically takes place in spring, with eggs being released into the water column. At night, ornate wrasses bury themselves in the sandy sea floor. They are caught for food locally and collected for aquariums. For more marine facts, click the SUBSCRIBE button!!