Peacock Wrasse

Interesting Info

• The Peacock Wrasse occurs in Australia along the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland and also at reefs in Western Australia, with its range extending broadly through the Indo-Pacific.
• It is widespread from southern Japan and Taiwan through Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, reaching eastward to Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
• Males are brilliantly coloured, showing electric blue, purple, red, and orange tones across the body and fins, while females and juveniles are more subdued reddish-orange with a paler underside.
• The species is named for its peacock-like display of colours, especially when males flash during courtship.
• Colour intensity can change dramatically with mood, social interactions, or spawning behaviour, with dominant males becoming most vivid.
• It is a protogynous hermaphrodite: all individuals start as females, with some transforming into dominant males that hold harems of females.
• Spawning occurs in the late afternoon or at dusk, when males perform energetic courtship dances and display intensified colours before eggs are released into the water column.
• Its diet consists mainly of zooplankton, which it captures in the water column above reef crests and slopes.
• Unlike many wrasses that bury in sand, this fairy wrasse shelters among coral heads or crevices at night, often producing a mucous cocoon to mask its scent from predators.
• The Peacock Wrasse generally lives around 4–6 years in the wild.
• Predators include groupers, snappers, and reef piscivores, particularly targeting smaller females and juveniles.
• Divers and snorkellers often encounter this species hovering just above reef crests in groups, with males patrolling territories and females forming loose schools.
• It is highly sought after in the aquarium trade, where its manageable size and vibrant colours make it a popular display fish.