The Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse is a species in the family of Labridae and therefore belongs to the superclass of bony fish. Coris julis was first described by Linnaeus in 1758.
Description, Features & Anatomy
The Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse has an elongated, slightly high-backed and laterally squat body and can grow up to 25cm long. All specimens over 18cm are male.
Both males and females, as well as the young have an individual appearance.
Juveniles
In contrast to the adult males, young Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasses are quite simply coloured. Their body consists of horizontal, white and black lines. The fins are intensely yellow and the eyesare yellow, white, red striped with black pupil.
Females
Also the female representatives of Coris julis are rather inconspicuous. The side line of the fish separates the brown back from the white belly. The eye is predominantly bright red with a black pupil.
The Male
The male Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse is the actually colourful one in the family. Its belly is still boringly silvery, but his back is all the more colourful. Orange, pink and turquoise determine the colouring, as in the young animal in horizontal lines. A yellowish glimmer comes through here and there.
Its colour can easily be confused with the Ornate Wrasse, which is just as colourful but has a completely different pattern.
Habitat & Distribution
Coris julis can be found above algae covered rocky reefs and in seagrass meadows to a depth of 120m. They prefer coastal sea areas.
When diving on the Canary Islands you can see him from time to time.
Its general distribution ranges from the Black Sea over the Mediterranean Sea to the North-East Atlantic. In the latter it can be found from Sweden, along the European and African coasts to Gabon. The Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse can also be found around the Azores and Madeira.
Lifestyle & Nutrition
Coris julis is a day-active fish. Its sleeping behaviour depends on temperature and lighting conditions. While it is awake in summer from 6 am to 8 pm, in winter it is only from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. To sleep, they dig into sediment. The same can also happen as an escape reaction.
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