Filamentous Wrasse

Interesting Info

• The Filamentous Wrasse is a small, brightly coloured wrasse found across northern Australia from Western Australia to Queensland, including the Great Barrier Reef.
• It is named for the long, thread-like extensions on the dorsal fin of males, which they flare dramatically during courtship or when displaying dominance.
• Males are brilliantly coloured with reddish-orange bodies marked by blue horizontal lines and long trailing dorsal filaments. Females and juveniles are smaller and less vivid, often with subdued orange-brown colours and faint striping.
• Juveniles are well camouflaged and remain close to rubble or coral heads, blending with the reef background to avoid predators.
• Filamentous Wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, beginning life as females before some transform into males once they are large enough to defend territories.
• Their diet consists mainly of tiny benthic invertebrates such as copepods, amphipods, small shrimps, and worms, which they pick from coral rubble and sand with quick darting movements.
• They are active during the day, foraging alone or in small groups, but become especially striking at dusk, when males perform spectacular “flashing” displays, rapidly changing colours and extending fins to court females.
• Spawning occurs in pairs, usually around sunset, with the male leading a female upward in the water column before both release eggs and sperm into open water.
• They live around 3–5 years in the wild, although in well-maintained aquariums they may live slightly longer.
• Filamentous Wrasses are popular in the marine aquarium trade due to their colours and courtship behaviour, but they require expert care, large tanks, and tightly covered aquariums since they are strong jumpers.
• At night, they seek shelter by wedging into coral crevices or burying in sand, where they rest safely until dawn.