Dive into the world of wrasses

The African clown wrasse, or Coris gaimard, is a solitary fish that changes color throughout its life, transitioning from orange with black and white eye spots in juveniles to a multicolored pattern in adults. Females turn into males, recognizable by the large green lines on their head. This species mainly feeds on mollusks, crabs, and hermit crabs and primarily resides in reefs.

Large males can be recognized by their green backs, their white bellies and their broad orange line on the flanks. The coloration, associated with a characteristic swimming, is used to impress other males and attract the attention of females, but also predators.

In some languages, this fish is called the "birdmouth wrasse" because of its hopping swimming, its long pectoral fins and a long "nose". It is hermaphrodite and changes sex and color in it life. Juveniles and females have two colors, while males are blue.

The bluestreak cleaner wrasse feeds exclusively by parasitically cleaning larger fish and turtles. In the reefs, it coordinates a cleaning station, typically near branching corals. Particularly active at the beginning of the day, these small cleaner wrasses clean the gills and mouths of many fish species.

It is one of the largest species of European wrasses. During breeding, the male delimits a territory. From the age of six, females become males (hermaphroditism protogynous). In Britain, the flesh of the big wrasse is highly appreciated.

It differs from the green wrasse (Labrus viridis) with a blue border on the fins. During breeding, the females visit male territories and mate with the most attractive. Around the age of 4 years, they change sex (protogynous hermaphroditism), but not color.

When young, it easily hides among the Posidonia (underwater flowering plants): it is green with a large white line. The female’s body is covered with small white spots. Around the age of 5 years, it can change sex (hermaphroditism protogynous) and color.

It differs from other species of wrasses because of the elongated shape of it head. Those who live in the Posidonia meadows (underwater flowering plants) are entirely green. The male builds a nest of seaweed and gravel where it distributes the eggs until they hatch.

During breeding season, its color becomes brighter and it builds a large nest with plant debris. It attracts the attention of females by performing a characteristic swimming. It will mate with several of them and it will protect and ventilate the eggs until they hatch.

The sixbar wrasse frequents shallow lagoons and offshore coral reefs. It lives in small, scattered groups and spends its days hunting small fish and foraminifera, tiny single-celled organisms. Like other wrasses, this fish changes color throughout its growth.

The moon wrasse inhabits the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. This species is sometimes referred to as the moon wrasse due to the shape and yellow color of their caudal fin. This wrasse primarily feeds on small invertebrates residing in the rocks and fish eggs.

It is one of the most colorful Mediterranean fish. The female has a black spot on the dorsal fin. The stain will disappear and its color becomes more vivid when it will change sex (hermaphroditism protogynous). It is more abundant in the northern Mediterranean.