Western King Wrasse (Coris auricularis)

Also known as Blushing Wrasse, King Coris, King Wrasse, Rainbow Wrasse, Sand Wrasse

Description

Also known as Blushing Wrasse, King Coris, King Wrasse, Rainbow Wrasse, Sand Wrasse.

Found in harems around sand patches of coral and rocky reefs.
They feed on hard shell invertebrates.
Juveniles found singly or in schools in weedy areas of reefs acting as cleanerfish.
Length - 40cm
Depth - 1-45m
Eastern Indian Ocean - Australia

Most reef fish seen by divers during the day, are grazers, they cruise around, just above the surface of the coral, or snoop into crevices, foraging for food.
Wrasses have small protruding teeth, which they use to graze the bottom, taking in a variety of algae, crustaceans, such as crabs, eggs, shrimps, snails and worms. Any hard coats or thick shells, are then ground down by their pharyngeal jaws, and the delicacies inside digested.
From juvenile to adult, wrasses dramatically alter their colour and body shapes.
Wrasses are always on the go during the day, but are the first to go to bed and the last to rise.
Small wrasses dive below the sand to sleep, and larger wrasses wedge themselves in crevices. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Coris-auricularis.html

Related creatures

Heads up! Many creatures change during their life. Juvenile fish become adults and some change shape or their colour. Some species change sex and others just get older. The following creature(s) are known relatives of the Western King Wrasse. Click the image(s) to explore further or hover over to get a better view!

Western King Wrasse (Juvenile)

Western King Wrasse (Juvenile)

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2 comments

  1. Posted by Carrie McBirney
    August 27, 2015 at 09:22 am - 2 person found this useful.

    HI! We are looking for photos of this fish that we can use on animal-world.com and we would love to give credit for photos and/or videos!! Thanks sooooo much! These are males, right?

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