FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Who doesn't like to watch pretty fish in the ocean or aquarium? We are here to introduce you to a family of wrasse fish with attractive bright colors. Wrasse (or wrasses) are a huge family of marine fish ranging in small to big size. They belong to the family of Labridae and this is the fish's scientific name.
Wrasses are typically known for their thick-lipped mouths and, due to their unique lips, they are known in Germany as lip-fishes. These fish are carnivores and prey on a wide range of small invertebrates. They are known to support and balance the ecological system of waters and oceans with their cleansing property of eating dead tissues.
Some of the famous fish from the Labridae family are the humphead wrasse, the six-line wrasse, the saltwater wrasse, the leopard wrasse, the Melanurus wrasse, the cleaner wrasse, the Thalassoma Wrasse, and the Coris gormaid yellowtail wrasse. With 45 species recognized, Cirrhilabrus is the second largest genus in the wrasse family. The gorgeously colored Pseudocheilinus is native to the Indian and Pacific oceans. Pseudocheilinus are known for their beautiful looks and intelligence.
The word wrasse definitely makes us curious, as we don't hear it often. A wrasse is a fish, and wrasses are a wide range of fish, with 45 different species of wrasse out there to discover.
These fish belong to the class of Actinopterygii. It is a subclass of Osteichthyes. Members of Actinopterygii are ray-finned fish and bony fish.
The Labridae family is spread all over the world, with over 600 species in 82 genera. They live in huge water bodies, and a few wrasses are even found in coral reefs. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the exact number of wrasse fish in the world.
Wrasses live in oceans spread over different parts of the world, especially in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Small or juvenile wrasse fish move in groups, whereas larger fish are solitary.
Wrasses are found in the marine habitat of tropical and subtropical waters. They live in oceans and in coral reefs. Reefs are a group of colonies of coral polyps bound together by calcium carbonate.
Smaller wrasses move in groups with other wrasse fish, and larger wrasses, like a humphead wrasse, mostly move alone and choose not to live in groups. The wrasse can be aggressive when new fish are introduced into their atmosphere, particularly saltwater fish.
With the abundance of different species in the Labridae family, the lifespan of these fishes ranges from three years to 30 years.
Wrasse reproduction involves the male and female releasing sperm and eggs into the water. Fertilization of the egg happens in the water. Wrasse species are well known for the fact that the fish can change sex during their lifetimes. After a certain period of time, a female can become a male in the absence of the family's dominant male. This is done in order to preserve the population of the species in the family.
The conservation status of wrasse fish is different for different species of wrasse. Worryingly, the humphead wrasse is classified as Endangered, due to the risk posed by extensive fishing.
Wrasse fish are incredibly beautiful as they can be found in bright colors of blue, green, white, yellow, and brown, with some scales in a purple or violet color. They are easily identified by their thick lips, which are clearly noticeable in the humphead wrasse, which is the longest fish of the wrasse family. They also have two sets of jaws.
Many people think wrasse fish are very cute and shy. They are certainly beautiful and can make any aquarium look beautiful and fascinating, with so many species of beautiful fish existing within the family.
How do they communicate?
Wrasse fish use body language to communicate, including moving side to side and tilting their heads. Interestingly, wrasse fish also exhibit cooperation behavior that is commonly known as ecological interaction. This behavior mutually benefits the fish and the environment that they live in as they clean the dead tissues in coral reefs and, in the process, feed on live tissues. The areas where these wrasses operate are known as 'cleaner stations'. When another marine animal approaches the coral reef they will visit these cleaner stations. Cleaner wrasses live at cleaning stations and these cleaning stations are occupied by different types of cleaner wrasses, including a group of youths, a pair of adults, or a group of females lead by a dominant male. When visitors approach the cleaning stations, the cleaner wrasses welcome them by performing a dance-like motion in which they "clean" the visitor (known as a 'client') by getting rid of parasites on the fish's body.
The humphead wrasse can be as long as 98 in (250 cm), with a weight of 420 lb (191 kg), which is 20 times the size of a normal cleaner wrasse.
Blue-lined wrasse can swim very fast using little energy. This is thanks to their flexible metabolism and wing-like fins.
With the presence of a large number of species in the family, the weight of a wrasse varies. The Labridae wrasse is the lightest, weighing anything from 1.21 lb (550 g), and the humphead wrasse, at 420 lb (191 kg), is the heaviest.
There are no specific names for male and female wrasse fish. Remember that wrasse fish are able to change their sex after a certain period of time. In particular, the female wrasse often becomes a male wrasse in order to play the role of a dominant male in the absence of a male wrasse in their group. Both male and female wrasse fish are born, which can then go onto change sex in their lifetimes.
Baby wrasse fish do not have any specific names, but they are sometimes known as initial phase individuals or juveniles.
The humphead wrasse, being the largest breed among the wrasse family, feeds on sea hares, boxfishes, the crown of thorn sea stars. Wrasse fish, in general, are carnivores, and they feed on small fish and invertebrates.
Wrasse fish are edible, but there is little demand from humans to eat wrasse fish at the moment.
Wrasse fish can indeed be cute and beautiful pets in an aquarium. They are very cute, shy, and colorful fish, making them an exciting sight in any properly-equipped aquarium.
A coral reef is part of an underwater ecosystem that consists of reef-building corals. The cleaner wrasse of the family Labridae is best known for maintaining the coral reef ecosystem. They have a unique way of feeding themselves using parasites on the skin of larger fish and, in doing this, also clean the larger fishes, contributing to the overall health of the ecosystem.
Amongst the varied species of wrasse, Thalassoma lunare fish belonging to the genus Thalassoma are perhaps the boldest, most vivid wrasse. Thalassoma lunare fish are truly beautiful, have you ever been lucky enough to see one (in a reef or an aquarium!)?
Another genus of the family is the yellowtail wrasse, including the Coris gaimard or Coris wrasse, which lives in the reefs in the Indo Pacific ocean, around Fiji, and the Hawaiian islands. These yellowtail Coris wrasses are also sometimes known as the African clown wrasse. The name yellowtail Coris wrasse indicates that these yellowtail Coris wrasse fish have yellow tails.
Wrasse fishes are diurnal. This means that they are very active throughout the day and sleep during the night. They sleep under rock shelves or under coral branches and they also have a unique behavior when it comes to sleeping, often burying themselves in the sand while sleeping in order to protect themselves from predators.
The word 'wrasse' is pronounced as the spelling "ras".
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our small fish coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.