Moon wrasse

The moon wrasse (Thalassoma lunare), also known as the crescent wrasse or lyretail wrasse, is a species of wrasse native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is an inhabitant of coral reefs and surrounding areas at depths from 1 to 20 m (3.3 to 65.6 ft).

Moon wrasse

Moon wrasses are carnivores and tend to prey on fish eggs and small sea-floor dwelling invertebrates. This species can reach 45 cm (18 in) in total length. It is part of the aquarium trade.

Description

The juvenile is blue on the lower half of its body, with a black spot in the middle of the dorsal fin and a black spot on the caudal fin base. As it matures, the black blotch transforms into a yellow crescent.

The body is green, with prominently marked scales. The head's color ranges from blue to magenta, with a broken checkerboard pattern.

Synonyms

• Labrus lunaris Linnaeus, 1758

References

1. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Thalassoma lunare" in FishBase. October 2013 version.