Japanese Wrasse

Interesting Info

• The Japanese Wrasse, is a coral reef fish found across the Indo-Pacific, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australia, particularly on the Great Barrier Reef.
• Males are brightly coloured with a pale blue to turquoise body crossed by horizontal reddish-orange to pink lines, a vivid yellow dorsal fin, and often a distinct dark marking at the base of the tail.
• Females and juveniles are less vibrant, usually light brown to grey with faint stripes, providing camouflage against sandy and coral reef habitats.
• This sexual dimorphism allows males to stand out during courtship displays, while females and juveniles remain less visible to predators.
• It is a fast, mid-water swimmer often seen hovering just above reef slopes rather than darting directly within coral heads, unlike many other wrasses.
• The Japanese Wrasse feeds mainly on small zooplankton and tiny crustaceans picked from the water column, making it more of a planktivore than a benthic feeder.
• It has slender jaws and small teeth, an adaptation for snatching minute prey items suspended in the current.
• Like many wrasses, it is believed to be a protogynous hermaphrodite, beginning life as a female before some individuals change sex into males.
• Spawning usually occurs in small groups, with males actively courting multiple females at the edge of reef slopes during twilight hours.
• The species has a lifespan of around 5–7 years in the wild, although detailed studies are limited.
• The species name yamashiroi honours Japanese ichthyologist Yamashiro, reflecting its original description from Japanese waters.