WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Pearly-spotted Wrasse

Halichoeres bicolor

Also known as: Brown-stripe Wrasse, Ear-muff Wrasse, Sand-reef Wrasse

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
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01

Overview

Found singly, or in small schools, over inshore silty mud, sand, and seagrass beds, of reefs.

Most reef fish seen by divers during the day are grazers, that cruise around just above the surface of the coral or snoop into crevices looking for algae, worms and small crustaceans.
Wrasses have small protruding teeth and graze the bottom taking in a variety of snails, worms, crabs, shrimps and eggs. 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

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
LIVES IN

Found singly, or in small schools, over inshore silty mud, sand, and seagrass beds, of reefs.

04

Adult photos 0

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. genusHalichoeres
    7. speciesHalichoeres bicolor (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Wrasses (Labridae)