Clown wrasse

Halichoeres maculipinna, the clown wrasse, is a species of tropical fish that lives throughout the Caribbean Sea and adjacent parts of the western Atlantic Ocean. It is a carnivorous, multi-colored wrasse that is common throughout its range.

Habitat

The fish lives in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Its range extends from the state of North Carolina in the United States, to the island of Bermuda and as far south as Colombia. It is also found in Caribbean islands such as Cuba and the Cayman Islands as well as Central American countries such as Belize. The fish was once believed to live in Brazil, but a study conducted by Luiz A. Rocha in 2004 demonstrated that Brazilian populations belonged to a different species, Halichoeres penrosei.

Halichoeres maculipinna lives on the tops of coral reefs and in rocky areas. The fish is generally found 1 to 30 metres (3 to 100 ft) beneath the surface. It has also been reported to live within Venezuelan Sargassum beds.

Behaviour

The fish is a carnivore. It primarily consumes invertebrates and ray-finned fish.