The Red-breasted Wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) starts with a green head as a juvenile and a dark brown body with black vertical lines and white bars. As it matures, it develops a red patch behind the eye that extends past the pectoral fin. The fish's head becomes rounder, with a green patch around the eye and red lines radiating out. The caudal fin has black and white bars with red spots. Over time, the white bars on large males may fade, while the black bars become more pronounced.
Behavior
The Red-breasted Wrasse is a shy fish that’s hard to approach closely. When they spot a diver, they usually move away. You’ll often see them alone, slowly moving across the reef in search of food. Adults are commonly found in mixed reef, rubble, and sandy areas, while juveniles prefer shallower waters and are often seen in seagrass beds.
Feeding and diet
The Red-breasted Wrasse feed on crustaceans, sea urchins, mollusks and use their strong jaws to crush hard shells. There are two large canine teeth at the front of each jaw and these are used to crush the hard shells.
Reproduction
The Red-breasted Wrasse is a protandrous hermaphrodite, starting life as a female and later becoming males based on social cues. They lay eggs that are fertilized externally, with dominant males often controlling harems or multiple harems of females. Spawning occurs above the reef in the late afternoon and evening, when males visit females in their territories to check if they’re ready to mate.
Predators
The Red-breasted Wrasse faces several predators, including larger fish like groupers and jacks. Humans can also pose a threat, as the species is sometimes collected for the aquarium trade or for food.
Where to Find Red-breasted Wrasse on Koh Tao
You can spot the Red-breasted Wrasse while scuba diving at various dive sites around Koh Tao.
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