Pinkspeckled Wrasse

Interesting Info

• The Pinkspeckled Wrasse is found widely across the Indo-Pacific, from Indonesia and the Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef and Western Australia, as well as Pacific islands.
• Its body is slender and pale greenish to bluish with rows of tiny pink to red speckles, especially on the upper body and face.
• Fins are lightly tinted yellow or orange, giving the fish a delicate, jewel-like appearance.
• It is the only species in its genus (Xenojulis), making it a unique branch of the wrasse family.
• Like many wrasses, it is a sequential hermaphrodite, starting life as a female, with some later changing into males.
• They are active daytime feeders, picking at tiny crustaceans, worms, and molluscs among coral rubble and sand.
• At night, they sleep in crevices or bury themselves in sand for protection.
• They are most often seen in small loose groups, darting quickly around coral heads in shallow lagoons and outer reef flats.
• Breeding occurs in pairs or small groups, with eggs released into the water column to drift with currents before hatching.
• Their small size and quick movements make them harder to spot than larger wrasses, but their pink speckling flashes in sunlight.
• The lifespan is thought to be around 3–5 years, typical of smaller wrasses.