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Thalassoma pavo
The ornate wrasse, Thalassoma pavo, is a species of wrasse native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Gabon and the oceanic islands and into the Mediterranean Sea. This species inhabits areas of rocks and eelgrass in coastal waters at depths from 1 to 150 m (3.3 to 492.1 ft), though rarely below 50 m (160 ft). It can reach 25 cm (9.8 in) in length, though most do not exceed 20 cm (7.9 in). This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, is also popular as a game fish, and can be found in the aquarium trade.
When it is young, the body is completely green, except for the black patch. Hermaphrodite proterogino, was born female and become male after a few years, gradually changing the color until you lose all of the blue stripes and black spot when adult.
Thank you Marta for the ID! I saw many of these beautiful fish swimming around me and I suspected that it was males and females. But I never imagined that females could develop into males!
Nice! You have got the male and the female of the species. Very pretty both of them! :-)
Spotted on Sep 4, 2014
Submitted on Sep 4, 2014
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