Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Moon wrasse

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Kingdom
  
Order
  
Perciformes

Genus
  
Higher classification
  
Thalassoma

Phylum
  
Chordata

Family
  
Labridae

Scientific name
  
Thalassoma lunare

Rank
  
Species

Moon wrasse Green Moon Wrassequot by Erik Schlogl Redbubble

Similar
  
Thalassoma, Wrasse, Yellow‑brown wrasse, Sixbar wrasse, Gomphosus varius

moon wrasse thalassoma lunare


The moon wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) is a species of wrasse native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is an inhabitant of coral reefs and surrounding areas at depths from 1 to 20 m (3.3 to 65.6 ft). Moon wrasses are carnivorous and tend to prey on fish eggs and small sea-floor dwelling invertebrates. This species can reach 45 cm (18 in) in total length. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can also be found in the aquarium trade.

Contents

Moon wrasse Moon Wrasse Thalassoma lunare Linnaeus 1758 Australian Museum

The juvenile is blue on the lower half of its body, with a black spot in the middle of the dorsal fin and a black blotch on the caudal fin base. As it matures, the spot turns into a yellow crescent, hence the name. The body is green, with prominently marked scales. Coloration of the head ranges from blue to magenta, with a broken checkerboard pattern.

Moon wrasse Thalassoma lunare

Moon wrasses are active fish, said to be moving all day long. They are also territorial, nipping, chasing, and otherwise harassing fish that get in their way.

Moon wrasse Moon Wrasse

Being diurnal, wrasses have strong vision, although they also have a decent sense of smell. At night, they rest in niches often under rocks or other such structures. If needed, a moon wrasse may dig out a space under a rock by repeatedly swimming through it until it fits without struggle.

Moon wrasse Green Moon Wrasse Thalassoma lutescens The Wild amp Colorful Sea

They are protogynous hermaphrodites, all starting off as females and changing to males, a process which, for the moon wrasse, takes only 10 days. Some moon wrasses live in groups consisted of a dominant male, and a "harem" of about a dozen other wrasses, some female and some male. The alpha male is more brightly colored, and at every low tide hour, changes from green to blue, and goes into a show of attacking and nipping all the other wrasses. This is his way of showing his dominance to the rest of the males and keeping the females in check. During breeding season and before high tide, the alpha male turns completely blue, gathers up every single female, and the spawning frenzy begins.

Moon wrasse httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Moon wrasses may live up to a decade in captivity, although this is shorter in the wild. They are popular fish in the aquarium trade, due to their hardiness, bright colors, and engaging behavior. They are renowned for their ability to tolerate spikes in nitrite, and eat bristle worms, a fish keeper's pest.

Moon wrasse Moon Wrasse Aquarium Hobbyist Social Networking Community

Yellow moon wrasse information by paul talbot


References

Moon wrasse Wikipedia