Bluehead

Thalassoma bifasciatum, the bluehead, bluehead wrasse or blue-headed wrasse, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a wrasse from the family Labridae. It is native to the coral reefs of the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. Individuals are small (less than 110 mm standard length) and rarely live longer than two years. They form large schools over the reef and are important cleaner fish in the reefs they inhabit.

Distribution

Thalassoma bifasciatum is found in coral reefs of the Atlantic Ocean. Its main range includes the Caribbean Sea and the southeast area of the Gulf of Mexico.

In Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the bluehead wrasse is a common sight for scuba divers and snorkelers exploring local reefs.

Behaviour

Like many other wrasse species, Thalassoma bifasciatum is a protogynous sequential hermaphrodite; individuals may begin life either as males or females, but females can change sex later in life and become males.