With about 500 species, the Labridae family (wrasse) is the second-largest family of marine fishes.
Wrasse species appear in a diverse range of size, shape and color, sometimes varying considerably even within a single species, as they proceed through several distinct phases during their life.
Wrasses are among the most abundant and conspicuous fish on shallow coral reefs, but also in temperate seas. Some wrasse can be really inquisitive, making them some of the easiest fish to see and photograph while snorkeling.
The largest (and also the most famous) species in this family is the Maori wrasse, which can reach a length of more than 6ft/2m. It is mainly seen on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Tuamotu Islands, where some individuals are almost tame.
Thalassoma genera wrasses, bright and colorful, are common over coral reefs around the world. The sixbar wrasse, widely distributed from East Africa to French Polynesia, is certainly the most common in the Indo-Pacific.
In the Caribbean, the bluehead wrasse is simply unmissable. The vibrant colors of the ornate wrasse give a tropical touch to the Mediterranean underwater landscape.
Some other wrasse species are known for cleaning larger fish from their parasites, which they feed on. The best known among them is the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, found from the Red Sea to the Marquesas.
Finally, if we had to vote for the most beautiful wrasse species, the juvenile clown coris, with its exquisite white body decorated with two black and orange eyespots, would undoubtedly be among our favorites.
Hogfish
Lachnolaimus maximus
Spanish hogfish
Bodianus rufus
Bluehead wrasse
Thalassoma bifasciatum
Yellowhead wrasse
Halichoeres garnoti
Slippery dick
Halichoeres bivittatus
Blackear wrasse
Halichoeres poeyi
Puddingwife wrasse
Halichoeres radiatus
Creole wrasse
Clepticus parrae
Maori wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus
Tripletail wrasse
Cheilinus trilobatus
Floral wrasse
Cheilinus chlorourus
Broomtail wrasse
Cheilinus lunulatus
Red-breasted wrasse
Cheilinus fasciatus
Sling-jaw wrasse
Epibulus insidiator
Latent sling-jaw wrasse
Epibulus brevis
Barred thicklip wrasse
Hemigymnus fasciatus
Blackeye thicklip wrasse
Hemigymnus melapterus
Lyretail hogfish
Bodianus anthioides
Clown coris
Coris aygula
African coris
Coris gaimard
Queen coris
Coris formosa
Sixbar wrasse
Thalassoma hardwicke
Moon wrasse
Thalassoma lunare
Red-cheek wrasse
Thalassoma genivittatum
Goldbar wrasse
Thalassoma hebraicum
Yellow-brown wrasse
Thalassoma lutescens
Saddle wrasse
Thalassoma duperrey
Klunzinger’s wrasse
Thalassoma rueppellii
Jansen’s wrasse
Thalassoma jansenii
Surge wrasse
Thalassoma purpureum
Fivestripe wrasse
Thalassoma quinquevittatum
Checkerboard wrasse
Halichoeres hortulanus
Threespot wrasse
Halichoeres trimaculatus
Zigzag wrasse
Halichoeres scapularis
Dusky wrasse
Halichoeres marginatus
Bluestreak cleaner wrasse
Labroides dimidiatus
Bicolor cleaner wrasse
Labroides bicolor
Hawaiian cleaner wrasse
Labroides phthirophagus
Spotted wrasse
Anampses meleagrides
Bluespotted wrasse
Anampses caeruleopunctatus
Pearl wrasse
Anampses cuvier
Yellowbreasted wrasse
Anampses twistii
Blue-striped orange tamarin
Anampses femininus
Rockmover wrasse
Novaculichthys taeniourus
Bird wrasse
Gomphosus varius
Bluelined wrasse
Stethojulis albovittata
Green birdmouth wrasse
Gomphosus caeruleus
Cigar wrasse
Cheilio inermis
Orange-dotted tuskfish
Choerodon anchorago
Blackspot tuskfish
Choerodon schoenleinii
Eastern blue groper
Achoerodus viridis
Mexican hogfish
Bodianus diplotaenia
Harlequin wrasse
Bodianus eclancheri
Cortez rainbow wrasse
Thalassoma lucasanum
Sunset wrasse
Thalassoma grammaticum
Peacock wrasse
Iniistius pavo
Ornate wrasse
Thalassoma pavo
Mediterranean rainbow wrasse
Coris julis
East Atlantic peacock wrasse
Symphodus tinca
Mediterranean brown wrasse
Labrus merula
Pearly razorfish
Xyrichtys novacula
Blackbarred hogfish
Bodianus speciosus
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