| Yellowhead wrasse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mature male and juvenile | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Labriformes |
| Family: | Labridae |
| Genus: | Halichoeres |
| Species: | H. garnoti |
| Binomial name | |
| Halichoeres garnoti (Valenciennes, 1839) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The yellowhead wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) is a fish species belonging to wrasse family native to shallow tropical waters in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean.
The yellowhead wrasse is a small sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 19 cm. [2] Both its sex and appearance change during its life and the colouring at each stage is rather variable. The body is thin, relatively lengthened and its mouth is terminal. As a juvenile, it is mainly yellow 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.
Later, as an adult male, 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.
The yellowhead wrasse is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico south to the north coast of Venezuela. [3] [4]
The yellowhead wrasse is common on coral and sandy reefs and among rocks at depths down to about 60 m (200 ft). It likes places with many small cavities where it can hide in case of danger. [5] [6]
The yellowhead wrasse is a predator that feeds mainly on small invertebrates such as crustaceans, molluscs, worms and echinoderms captured on the substrate or in the sand. Its prominent teeth help it to grasp crustaceans and to lever prey items off rocks. [7] During its juvenile phase, this wrasse can behave like a cleaner fish. [8]
Like many other wrasses, the yellowhead wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite, starting life as a female and later becoming a male, changing sex when it is about 7 cm (2.8 in) long. [9] Mature males are territorial during the breeding season and gather in a lek. A daily migration from feeding grounds to spawning sites occurs, and large males tend to monopolize mates. [10]
It is targeted for the aquarium trade, but it is not thought to be a major threat. This species is listed as least Concern (LC) on the UICN Red List. [11]
Hermodice carunculata, the bearded fireworm, is a type of marine bristleworm belonging to the Amphinomidae family, native to the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
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The spot-fin porcupinefish, also known as the spotted porcupinefish, black-spotted porcupinefish or simply porcupinefish, is a member of the family Diodontidae.
The banded pipefish or ringed pipefish is a species of fish in the Syngnathidae family.
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The barred-fin moray or bar-tail moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
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The yellowmouth grouper, also known as the crossband rockfish, grey mannock, hamlet, harlequin rockfish, princess rockfish, rockfish, salmon grouper, salmon rock fish or scamp, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Caribbean and in the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is also found in pockets in Brazil. It is a fairly large fish and it gets its name from the yellow around its mouth.
Arothron caeruleopunctatus, also known as the blue-spotted pufferfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Tetraodontidae.
Halichoeres maculipinna, the clown wrasse, is a species of tropical fish that lives throughout the Caribbean Sea and adjacent parts of the western Atlantic Ocean. It is a carnivorous, multi-colored wrasse that is common throughout its range.
Halichoeres prosopeion, commonly called the twotone wrasse, half-grey wrasse or zig-zag wrasse, is a fish species in the wrasse family native to the western Pacific Ocean.
Halichoeres richmondi, commonly called the Richmond's wrasse or chain-lined wrasse, is a fish species in the wrasse family native from the central Indo-Pacific.
Halichoeres scapularis, commonly called the Zigzag wrasse , is a fish species in the wrasse family native from the Indo-West Pacific.
Heteropsammia cochlea, also known as walking dendro, is a species of small solitary coral in the family Dendrophylliidae that is native to the Indo-Pacific area.
The blackear wrasse is a species of wrasse, a type of fish in the family Labridae, from the warmer waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.
