Checkerboard Wrasse

The checkerboard wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus) is a marine fish that is part of the wrasse family, primarily distributed from the 🌊 Indian Ocean to the central 🌊 Pacific Ocean.

The checkerboard wrasse is characterized by its relatively small size, capable of growing up to 27 centimeters (11 inches) in length. This species undergoes notable changes in both sex and appearance throughout its lifespan, with coloration variations influenced by geographic location. The fish has an elongated, slender body with a terminal mouth. In the juvenile stage, it displays a silvery white base color adorned with three distinctive black and dark red vertical patches located from the rear of the head, mid-body, and over the caudal peduncle. A black ocellus encircled by a yellow ring marks the rear of the dorsal fin, accompanied by two prominent white spots at the top and bottom of the caudal peduncle. A reddish line is also visible extending through the eyes from the snout.

Upon reaching maturity, when gender is determined, the checkerboard wrasse exhibits a greater variety of coloration, transitioning to a white to greenish background with blue to black hues along the edges of its scales, evoking a checkerboard pattern. The head is predominantly green with pink lines extending into dots behind the eyes and towards the base of the dorsal fin. A vivid yellow spot emerges at the border between the side and the dorsal fin, with additional color variations, including a potential black spot near the initial yellow mark and a second yellow spot along the edge of the dorsal fin's terminus. Inhabitants of the 🌊 Red Sea may exhibit a blue coloration over half their back. Typically, the caudal fin is truncated, bearing a pinkish pattern that can vary from faded to completely blue.

The checkerboard wrasse is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical marine environments, ranging from the 🌊 Red Sea to 🇿🇦 South Africa, and extending to the oceanic islands, including 🇵🇫 French Polynesia in the central 🌊 Pacific Ocean. Its northernmost range reaches the south of 🇯🇵 Japan, while the southernmost boundary aligns with the Great Barrier Reef. The species predominantly inhabits clear lagoon settings and seaward reefs, at depths between 1 and 30 meters (3.3 to 98.4 feet). Juvenile individuals are frequently located at the base of surge channels or beneath ledges.

As a predator, the checkerboard wrasse primarily consumes small invertebrates such as crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and echinoderms, sourced from substrate or sand. Notably, this species is protogynous, beginning life as a female and transitioning to male upon maturity, typically when reaching approximately 12.8 centimeters (5.0 inches) in length.