Mediterranean rainbow wrasse

Coris julis also known by its common name, the Mediterranean rainbow wrasse, is a Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic fish. Phylogenetically they belong to the Labridae family, also known as the wrasses. Within their genus, Coris, there are a total of 28 species. As discussed more in the Life History section below, they can present with more than one coloration. This is because they are diandric protogynous hermaphrodites. These fish are born as what scientists term primary males and females and can transition from a female to a secondary male. Primary individuals are described to be less than 18cm in length and all those larger are secondary males.

Distribution

C. julis typically inhabits rock/sandy substrates at the oceans floor and can commonly be found in seagrass beds. They also bury themselves in sand between sunset and sunrise. These habitats are in shallower coastal waters, and their standard depth range has been described as 0–50m with extremes of 0–120m. Geographically, as their name indicates, these fish are found in the Mediterranean Sea with an apparently even distribution. However, it can also be found as far North as Norway and as far South as Senegal. Further south you begin to see the related species Coris atlantica which is less widespread and lives in Western-central Africa. These two species represent the only 2 in the genus Coris found in the Eastern Atlantic. The other 26 are found in the Indo-Pacific. Although based upon the study mentioned under Species Description, C. julis should be split into C. julis and C. menalura.