Comb Wrasse

Interesting Info

• The Comb Wrasse, is a brilliantly coloured wrasse found only in Australia and around Lord Howe Island, making it an Aussie endemic gem of the reefs.
• Adult males are unmistakable—jet black with a wide white stripe running from head to tail, plus fiery red-orange on the belly and fins. This bold colour scheme is unique among wrasses.
• Females and juveniles look totally different. They are orange to reddish with many small white spots, and have a small black spot on the tail base. This dramatic change in looks is an example of sexual dimorphism.
• Juveniles are especially striking, often mistaken for a different species entirely until they mature into their adult colours.
• The species is named “Comb Wrasse” because the bold white stripe and dark outline resemble the teeth of a giant comb when seen from the side.
• They are active foragers, feeding mainly on small invertebrates like crabs, shrimps, worms, molluscs, and brittle stars, which they find while picking through sandy and rocky reef areas.
• Like many wrasses, they are protogynous hermaphrodites—born female, with some individuals later changing into brightly coloured males when they grow larger and more dominant.
• Spawning usually occurs in spring and summer, with males displaying their bright colours and pairing with females to release eggs into the water column.
• The lifespan of the Comb Wrasse is thought to be around 8–10 years in the wild, which is fairly long for a medium-sized wrasse.
• Predators include larger reef fishes and seals, but their agility and use of rocky crevices give them a good chance of escape.
• Divers and snorkellers love spotting Comb Wrasses because of their bold black-and-white stripe and curious behaviour—they often follow divers across reefs, darting in and out of kelp beds and rocky areas.
• They are found mostly on rocky reefs, kelp forests, and sandy patches of temperate southern reefs rather than in coral-dominated zones.
• Comb Wrasses are sometimes mistaken for the similar looking Maori Wrasse juveniles, but their adult male colour scheme is completely unique.