Silty Wrasse

Interesting Info

• The Silty Wrasse, is a small to medium wrasse found throughout the Indo-Pacific, including northern Australia, the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Western Australia, and offshore islands such as Christmas and Cocos (Keeling).
• The species is named for its preference for silty habitats and for its purplish sheen, which is most noticeable in terminal-phase males.
• Males are generally greenish to bluish with purple highlights and broken horizontal lines along the body, while females and juveniles are more muted in colour, with brownish or greyish tones and faint striping.
• Juveniles often display a dark false eyespot near the base of the dorsal fin, which fades with maturity and helps divert predator attacks.
• Like many wrasses, the Silty Wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite: all individuals begin life as females, with the largest or most dominant transforming into males.
• It is an active forager, feeding on small benthic invertebrates such as worms, copepods, amphipods, and tiny molluscs, which it picks from sandy and silty substrates.
• They are diurnal, burying themselves in sand or silt at night or when threatened, where they remain hidden until morning.
• Spawning occurs in pairs or small groups at dusk, with fertilised eggs released into the water column and drifting as plankton until hatching.
• Lifespan is not well studied but is likely 4–6 years, similar to other small members of the genus Halichoeres.
• Predators include larger wrasses, snappers, and groupers that patrol sandy and silty reef margins where this species is common.
• Divers and snorkellers may encounter Silty Wrasses in sandy lagoons, seagrass beds, or silty reef slopes, where their subtle colours help them blend into the environment.