Animal Profiles
Fish

Wrasse

Labridae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Wrasses include many reef-associated fishes with changing colours and feeding roles. This account describes the bluehead wrasse, whose largest male colour phase has a bright blue head and contrasting body bars.

Bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum), the representative described here.

Bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum), the representative described here.

At a glance

Location
Thalassoma bifasciatum is the representative used here. It occupies western Atlantic and Caribbean reefs, bays and seagrass beds. Its different habitats support more than one colour pattern.
Habitat
Coral reef, Coast
Diet
Carnivore
Food
Zooplankton and small bottom animals supply food, and some individuals clean parasites from other fishes.

Classification

Common name
Wrasse
Browse group
Fish
Scientific name or taxon
Labridae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Perciformes
Family
Labridae
Source classification
Actinopterygii

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Large males have blue heads.
  • It can change from female to male.
  • Some individuals clean other fishes.

Habitat and range

Thalassoma bifasciatum is the representative used here. It occupies western Atlantic and Caribbean reefs, bays and seagrass beds. Its different habitats support more than one colour pattern.

Appearance and adaptations

Small fish can be yellow above with a dark side stripe. Large males develop a blue head and two dark bars towards the front of a greenish body. Colour phase does not identify every small fish's sex.

Diet and behaviour

Zooplankton and small bottom animals supply food, and some individuals clean parasites from other fishes. The species can change from female to male, so life history cannot be reduced to a single fixed colour-sex rule.

Sources

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