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EXPLORE > ANIMALS > FISH
Halichoeres garnoti
This small fish will only reach a maximum length of 7.5 inches or 19 cm. It has a thin, tube-like body but its coloring may change dramatically over its lifespan. When young, the body is bright yellow with a lateral blue stripes running from its eyes to the base of its tail. Older fish will have a dark colored back with blue shading and a yellow belly. Black wavy lines may radiate from the back of the eye.
All wrasse are born female but are hermaphroditic, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive organs. If a male is not present in a particular location, the dominant female wrasse will transform into a male and then maintain a “harem,” consisting of several other female fish.
Wrasse are predatory and will feed on a variety of other animals, including crustaceans, worms and echinoderms. Because of their hearty and docile natures, wrasses are growing in popularity among amateur aquarists.
Range and Habitat
Like most wrasse species, the yellowhead wrasse is common to the shallow, tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. They live among the thick, matted roots of the mangrove swamps which provides the wrasse with both food and shelter.
Conservation Status
Common.
Halichoeres garnoti
This small fish will only reach a maximum length of 7.5 inches or 19 cm. It has a thin, tube-like body but its coloring may change dramatically over its lifespan. When young, the body is bright yellow with a lateral blue stripes running from its eyes to the base of its tail. Older fish will have a dark colored back with blue shading and a yellow belly. Black wavy lines may radiate from the back of the eye.
All wrasse are born female but are hermaphroditic, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive organs. If a male is not present in a particular location, the dominant female wrasse will transform into a male and then maintain a “harem,” consisting of several other female fish.
Wrasse are predatory and will feed on a variety of other animals, including crustaceans, worms and echinoderms. Because of their hearty and docile natures, wrasses are growing in popularity among amateur aquarists.
Range and Habitat
Like most wrasse species, the yellowhead wrasse is common to the shallow, tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. They live among the thick, matted roots of the mangrove swamps which provides the wrasse with both food and shelter.
Conservation Status
Common.
