WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Ladder Wrasse

Thalassoma trilobatum

Also known as: Christmas Wrasse, Green-barred Wrasse, Green-blocked Wrasse, Ladder Christmas Wrasse, Ladder Trilobatum, Lunate-tailed Wrasse

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@fishx6 · Keleti Beach, Tonga · September 20111 / 22

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

01

Overview

Found singly or in schools, over mixed algae, coral, and rocky substrates, on shallow exposed reef flats and reef margins, of clear, rocky shorelines.

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

Pattern
stripes

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 · Indo-Pacific
  • Exact location · 1
  • Dive site · 5
  • Country only · 16
LIVES IN

Found singly or in schools, over mixed algae, coral, and rocky substrates, on shallow exposed reef flats and reef margins, of clear, rocky shorelines.

04

Adult photos 22

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. genusThalassoma
    7. speciesThalassoma trilobatum (Lacepède, 1801)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Wrasses (Labridae)