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Yellowhead wrasse

Halichoeres garnoti

Description:

The yellowhead wrasse is a small sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 19 cm. Both its sex and appearance change during its life and the colouring at each stage is variable. The body is thin, relatively lengthened and its mouth is terminal. As a juvenile, it is mainly yellow/orange with a lateral, bright-blue stripe. In its initial phase, while it is female, it has a dark-colored back, sometimes with bluish shadings, and a yellow underside. Two short wavy dark lines radiate from the hind edge of each eye with dark spots on its front head. (third pic) Later, as an adult male (first and second pic), the head and front part of the body are yellow, the hind half of the body is silvery grey and a vertical black blue bar and a broad black blue stripe occur along the border of the dorsal fin. From this dark blue line, three longitudinal lines of gradient colors are visible, they are successively green, blue (this latter continues throughout the ventral part of the fish) then pink to mauve color. It still has the characteristic dark, wavy lines near the eye with the black spots. They eat small invertebrates and asjuveniles can act as cleaners.

Habitat:

Caribbean distributed. Seen in Oil Slick Leap and nearby dive site Weber's Joy/Witches Hut, in Bonaire.

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The MnMs
Spotted by
The MnMs

Bonaire, Caribisch Nederland, Netherlands

Spotted on Sep 13, 2017
Submitted on Jan 27, 2018

Spotted for Mission

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