Surge Wrasse

The Surge Wrasse (Thalassoma purpureum), also referred to as the Green-blocked Wrasse, Purple Wrasse, or Red and Green Wrasse, is a species of fish in the wrasse family. This species is indigenous to the southeastern Atlantic Ocean, extending through the 🇮🇳 Indian and 🌊 Pacific Oceans. It is typically found inhabiting reef environments and rocky coastlines characterized by strong wave activity, at depths ranging from the surface to 10 meters (33 feet).

While the Surge Wrasse holds minor significance for local commercial fisheries, it is esteemed as a game fish and is also sought after in the aquarium trade.

The physical characteristics of the Surge Wrasse include a dorsal fin equipped with 8 spines and 12-14 soft rays, while the anal fin is comprised of 3 spines and 10-12 soft rays. This species can attain a maximum length of 46 centimeters (18 inches) and weigh up to 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds). The Surge Wrasse features a deep, laterally compressed body and a pair of caniniform teeth located at the forefront of its lower jaw. The females of the species are predominantly greenish, distinguished by a dark red "V" marking on their snouts. Conversely, the males exhibit a greenish-blue coloration with two prominent reddish stripes along their flanks, coupled with a large head and blunt snout adorned with pinkish-purple markings. The Surge Wrasse bears a close resemblance to the Ladder Wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum), particularly the females; however, it can be differentiated by its larger head and absence of spots on the head.

The Surge Wrasse demonstrates a broad Indo-Pacific distribution, with its range slightly extending into the southeastern Atlantic along the coast of 🇿🇦 South Africa. In the 🌊 Indian Ocean, the species is distributed from the 🌊 Red Sea southward to 🇿🇦 South Africa, extending eastward through the 🌊 Indian Ocean islands and the coasts of Asia to the 🌊 Pacific Ocean. Its range reaches north to 🇯🇵 Japan, south to Lord Howe Island, Kermadec Islands, and Rapa Islands, and extends as far east as 🇵🇦 Panama in the eastern Pacific.

As its name indicates, the Surge Wrasse occupies the surge zone of outer reef flats and the reef margins of coral and rocky reefs. It is typically found at depths of less than 10 meters (33 feet). The species lives in groups of females spread across large reef areas, dominated by a few males that grow significantly larger than females. The Surge Wrasse is carnivorous, preying on small invertebrates such as crabs, sea urchins, brittlestars, molluscs, small fishes, and polychaete worms. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, with females capable of changing sex to become males, and it is a pelagic spawner.