Red-breasted wrasse

The Red-breasted wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus), also known as the Red-breasted Cheilinus, is found in various regions, including the Indo-Pacific, the Red Sea, East Africa, Micronesia, Samoa, and the Ryukyu Islands. It prefers to inhabit lagoons and coral reefs at depths ranging from 4 to 60 meters, where it finds diverse food sources such as benthic invertebrates, mollusks, crustaceans, and sea urchins.

This fish has a characteristic compressed body, a large head, and thick lips. Its coloration depends on age: juveniles are gray with black vertical bars, while adults become darker. The body of an adult is covered with gray-green bands alternating with broad black bars, and features bright red coloration on the breast, head, and pectoral fins.

The Red-breasted wrasse possesses strong jaws used for crushing shells, and its characteristic features remain similar between juveniles and adults. [Note: Coloration changes significantly with age]. It prefers to inhabit mixed reef zones and moves slowly in search of food.

The Red-breasted wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite, starting life as a female and transforming into a male under certain conditions. It spawns in specific territories, and males visit these areas to check the readiness of females for mating.