Moon wrasse
| Moon wrasse | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Labriformes |
| Family: | Labridae |
| Genus: | Thalassoma |
| Species: | T. lunare |
| Binomial name | |
| Thalassoma lunare (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
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 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
[change | change source]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
[change | change source]- Labrus lunaris Linnaeus, 1758
References
[change | change source]- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Thalassoma lunare" in FishBase. October 2013 version.
- ↑ Shea, S.; Liu, M.; Sadovy, Y.; Rocha, L.A. (2010). "Thalassoma lunare". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T187381A8518738. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187381A8518738.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.