Purple Wrasse

Notolabrus fucicola

Sea Life Native IUCN: Least Concern

About

Adults are greyish to greenish with a purple hue, and have five yellowish blotches along the back extending onto the dorsal fin, and often a yellow band at the back of the head behind the gill cover.

Juveniles are reddish-brown, greenish-brown or greyish-green with greenish and orange mottling.

Unlike most wrasses, which usually change sex from female to male during their life, all Purple Wrasses start life as females, and some change sex to become males before they mature. So, both large males and females are present in the population, which is relatively rare in the family Labridae

Size

can grow to around 45cm

Habitat

Rocky reefs out to a depth of 90m

Distribution

In Australia it is known from southern New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria to eastern South Australia

Local Sightings

1 recorded sighting in and around the area.

References & citations (2)
  1. Bray, D.J., Notolabrus fucicola in Fishes of Australia (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)
  2. Red List (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)

Header image: (CC BY-NC 4.0) © Marine Explorer

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