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Rock wrasse

Halichoeres semicinctus

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Fun Facts

These fish tuck themselves in for the night! They burrow into the sand so that only their heads are peeking out.

Species Type:

Fishes

Common Name(s):

Rock wrasse

Size:

These fish can grow to about 15 inches (38 centimeters) long.

Diet:

These fish can eat gastropods (a type of mollusks), and small crustaceans. They can also eat the parasites living on other fishes.

Range & Habitat:

They spend time by rocks near patches of sand and in tide pools. They live in the Eastern Pacific from Point Conception in California, U.S., to Guadalupe Island off or north-central Baja California, and the Gulf of California in Mexico.

Details:

This fish has a long body with a long dorsal fin spanning the body length and ending at the tail. Males are green or orangish with a black bar near their pectoral fins. Females lack the black bar and are brownish yellow. The eye can be red-rimmed or yellow-rimmed.