Fish
Rainbow Wrasse
Coris julis · also called Mediterranean rainbow wrasse
Over a sunlit Mediterranean reef, a male rainbow wrasse flashes green, blue, and orange as he patrols above the stones.
Overview
The rainbow wrasse, Coris julis, is a Least Concern wrasse of rocky reefs and seagrass beds across the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic. Its dramatic male colours, sex-changing lifestyle, and night-time burying make it one of the most characteristic fish of Mediterranean snorkelling.
A wrasse that goes to bed in the sand
At dusk the rainbow wrasse dives into the sand and vanishes, spending the night buried and safe from predators that hunt by sight.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and abundant.
Rainbow Wrasse: common questions
Why do rainbow wrasse look so different?
Young fish and females are brown to orange with a white stripe, while mature males are green and blue with an orange zigzag stripe, because many females change into males as they grow.
Where does the rainbow wrasse sleep?
It dives into sand at night to sleep, and sometimes when threatened, disappearing from view.
How big is the rainbow wrasse?
It usually reaches around 20 to 25 cm in length, with a slender, cigar-shaped body.
Where is the rainbow wrasse found?
It lives on rocky reefs and seagrass beds of the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic, from the Bay of Biscay to West Africa.