moon wrasse
| Scientific name | Thalassoma lunare |
|---|---|
| Descriptor | Linnaeus |
| Year of description | 1758 |
| IUCN category | LC |
| Family | Labridae |
| Genus | Thalassoma |
Introduction
Thalassoma lunare, commonly known as moon wrasse, is a salt water fish.
Who is it?
Morphology
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Average size30 cm
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Maximum size45 cm
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Longevity14 year
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Average size30 cm
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Maximum size45 cm
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Longevity14 year
How to recognize the moon wrasse ?
The moon wrasse measures around 30 cm. The dominant males can however reach 45 cm. This fish is multicolore with a predominantly bleu and vert body.
Sexual dimorphism
The adult male is bigger than the female.
Behaviour & Life cycle
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dietcarnivorous
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Male sociabilitysolitary
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Female sociabilityliving in a group or alone
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territorialYes
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Way of livingdiurnal
The moon wrasse is a fish solitary naturally found near the bottom. This species is carnivorous .
The moon wrasse is a territorial animal that does not tolerate any incursions into its living area. It is particularly virulent against other territorial species and it can provoke heated fights. Relationships between conspecifics are also hectic, with each seeking to secure its place.
Reproduction
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Reproductionovipare qui pond en eau libre
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Hermaphroditeprotogynous
The moon wrasse is a fish ovipare qui pond en eau libre. always born female. Growing up, individuals will change sex to become male, this is called successive hermaphroditism of the protogynous type.
Harmless species
This species does not represent any particular threats to humans when encountered in its natural environment.
Where to find it?
Where to see this species?
What is its habitat?
Natural environment characteristics
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Temperature24 - 28 °C
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Depth1 - 20 m
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FlowMedium and Slow
Biotope presentation
The moon wrasse is most often found at a depth between 1m and 20m. However, it is not impossible to find this species at other depths.
To go further
Sources & Contributions
Participation & Validation
The Fishipedia team and specialist contributors are committed to providing high-quality content. However, although the information comes from scientific sources or testimonials from specialists, the cards may contain inaccuracies.
Benoit Chartrer
Théo Guillaume
Adrien Falzon
Translation
Translation done with the valuable contribution of our translators, who make this information available to a wider audience. We sincerely thank them for their commitment.
Bibliographic references
Evolution of coral reef fishThalassomaspp. (Labridae). 1. Molecularphylogeny and biogeography - G. Bernardi - G. Bucciarelli - D. Costagliola - R. Robertson - J. B. Heiser - Marine Biology - 2003.
Geographic variation in size at age of the coral reef fish, Thalassoma lunare (family: Labridae) : a contribution to life history theory. PhD thesis - Ackerman, J. L. - James Cook University - 2004.
Where to see this species?
Tags
Species of the same family
Same genus
Species of the same biotope
Scientific partners
