WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Creole Wrasse

Bodianus parrae

Also known as: Blue Girl, Creole Reef Wrasse, Purple-tailed Wrasse, Sand-reef Wrasse, Sorrel Chub, Clepticus parrae

Adult
@fishx6 · Bonaire - Dive site - Kline 2, Caribbean Netherlands · November 20101 / 12

Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Found singly or in large schools, over shallow, reef patches, or midwater feeding, over seaward reef slopes, of coral and rocky reefs. Colour and pattern varies greatly!

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.

02

How to identify

Head & Mouth
black nose

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Country only · 12
LIVES IN

Found singly or in large schools, over shallow, reef patches, or midwater feeding, over seaward reef slopes, of coral and rocky reefs.

04

Adult photos 12

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderEupercaria incertae sedis
    5. familyLabridae
    6. genusBodianus
    7. speciesBodianus parrae (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Wrasses (Labridae)