Description

The Bluehead Wrasse or Blue-Headed Wrasse (Thalassoma Bifasciatum) is a species of saltwater fish in the Wrasse family native to the coral reefs of the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. Captive individuals rarely live longer than 2 years. They form large schools over the reef and are important cleaner fish in the reefs they inhabit.

Young, small Blue-Headed Wrasse females and males have yellow upper bodies and white lower bodies, often with green or black lateral stripes and occasionally dark vertical bars. This coloration is known as the initial phase. Bluehead Wrasse Fish can rapidly alter the presence or intensity of their yellow color, stripes, and bars, and these color changes appear to correspond to behavioral changes. Large females and some males can permanently change coloration and/or sex and enter the terminal phase coloration, which has a blue head, black and white bars behind the head, and a green body.