Who?
Family: Labridae
Species: Thalassoma bifasciatum
Species ID: L.TB
Description: A small cigar-shaped fish that swims by beating its pectoral fins (1). There are three primary colour phases for adults that reflect their age and development – initial, intermediate and terminal phases. The initial phase (a) is characterized by a yellow back and a white belly, often with a dark stripe running along the boundary between these colours. The terminal phase male (b) (also known as the supermale) has a yellow to green body with a bright blue head (2). Just behind the head is a series of thick bars – black, white, and black again – unique to this species (3). The juvenile phase resembles the initial phase but is smaller, and may be completely yellow to white depending on location
Maximum Size: 25 cm (10 in)
Longevity: 3 years
Status: Not currently on the IUCN endangered species list
Bluehead Wrasse & People: Not caught for consumption in the Caribbean, but often used as a bait fish or collected on a small scale for the aquarium industry
Where?
Geographical Range: This fish is incredibly abundant on shallow coral reefs throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, north to the Carolinas and south to Brazil
Coral Reef Zone: Found in all coral reef zones, but less common in the drop-off zone
Favourite Habitat: The bluehead wrasse can be found in all types of coral reef habitat, as well as mangrove areas and seagrass beds
Depth Range: 0–40 m (0–131 ft)
A Day in the Life:
Dawn: Bluehead wrasses emerge from their night shelters and begin their search for food
Day: These fish move in large feeding groups across the reef. Spawning may also occur after midday
Dusk: Activity decreases as individuals find shelter for the night
Who Eats Who
Bluehead wrasses are carnivores, feeding mainly on zooplankton and small benthic organisms, like shrimps and worms, although they also consume the eggs of other small fish. Initial phase bluehead wrasses sometimes operate as cleaners, eating the parasites of other marine organisms. These fish are consumed most commonly by trumpetfish and grouper.
Scuba Diver & Snorkeler Best Practices
Remove only recent garbage from the sea : Garbage that has been in the sea for a long time might have been adopted as a new home by some marine organisms; encrusting organisms may also call it home.
