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Related FAQs: Bird
Wrasses, Wrasses 1, Wrasse
Selection, Wrasse Behavior,
Wrasse
Compatibility, Wrasse
Feeding, Wrasse
Diseases,
Related Articles: The Diversity of Wrasses, Family
Labridae, Cook ,
/A
Diversity of Aquatic Life
The Bird
Wrasses, genus Gomphosus |
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Bob Fenner |
Gomphosus varius, male |
These are the Bird Wrasses, named for their prominent physical beaks as
much as their flitting swimming behavior. These are fast moving; moderate sized (males to
about a foot) fishes that do very well in mixed fish species systems. Two
species in the genus.
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Gomphosus caeruleus Lacepede 1801, the Blue, or Red Sea Bird Wrasse (1) is found in
the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Males are dark azure blue, and females white to yellow below
and dark greenish blue above. To one foot in length. At right a half inch
juvenile. Below: two inch juvenile,
four inch female, seven inch male. Images made in the Red Sea. Last image by
Mike.K
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| Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop
size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
.JPG) |
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Gomphosus varius Lacepede 1801, is the much more common Bird Wrasse (1) in the west.
Its males are lighter green over-all, and females transversely white to black front to
back, with an orangish upper "beak". The common Bird Wrasse is found in
Hawai’i to the tropical western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. At right,
a juvenile in Hawaii. Below: Female in
Hawai'i, an intermediate individual (changing from female to male), a male there and
one in captivity.
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A grouping of female G. varius off of Kona. |
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