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Coris julis
Locally known as 'Knez', this is another small and colourful wrasse, common to Adriatic. It reaches a max of 25 cm in length, and the bigger and more colourful is male (pics N° 1 to 3). Females present on pics 3 - 5 are smaller, and more dull in colours - dark olive green back, large horizontal brown stripe, white below.
Native to Mediterranean sea, this wrasse is a common littoral fish in Adriatic, and is usually found in shallow, rocky waters rich in seaweed close to shores. Here, observed in such a bay on Dubrovnik riviera. 'Knez' is considered to be an indicator of clean, unpolluted sea waters, and therefore reassuring to see them swimming around you...
Rainbow wrasse is a sequential hermaphrodite, and all individuals reaching 18 cm and changing to lively colours, are so-called 'second-phase males' - in French two phases have different names, like two different species ('girelle royale for males, and 'girelle commune' for females).
Spotted on Jul 23, 2021
Submitted on Aug 4, 2021
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