Silverstreak Wrasse

Interesting Info

• The Silverstreak Wrasse is a tropical reef fish found across the Indo-Pacific and in northern Australia from Western Australia through the Northern Territory to Queensland, including the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea.
• It grows to about 15 cm (6 in) and is slim and fast, zipping over sandy and rubbly areas near corals.
• The body shows shining silvery-blue streaks along the sides, with males usually brighter and more colourful than females.
• Juveniles carry a bold pale stripe from above the eye to the tail base that fades as they mature, a handy clue for young-fish ID.
• It feeds by pecking quickly at the bottom for tiny invertebrates such as small crustaceans, worms, and molluscs.
• Although often seen singly or in pairs, it can form loose groups that graze together across lagoon and reef-flat habitats.
• Like many wrasses, the Silverstreak Wrasse begins life as a female and some individuals later change to males as they grow.
• During breeding, males brighten and perform quick darting displays to court nearby females.
• At night or when startled, it may bury itself in soft sand to hide from predators.
• Its lifespan is short for a reef fish, roughly 3–6 years, which suits its speedy, on-the-go lifestyle.
• Divers and snorkellers can spot it on sunlit reef flats and seagrass edges, where the flashing silver streaks give the species its name.
• Elsewhere in the world it is also known as the Three-ribbon Wrasse, Silverbelly Wrasse, or Lined Rainbowfish.