Bony fish · Perciformes · Labridae

Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse

Coris julis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Size

up to 30 cm

Lifespan

7 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

reproducciónIt changes both sex and colour scheme during its life, starting as a female and turning male later on.
It buries itself in the sand to spend the night, or when startled.
It is a protogynous hermaphrodite: females change sex, and above 18 cm every individual is male; the switch takes from a few weeks to five and a half months.
The two colour forms were long considered separate species.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat & environment: Rocky inshore zone and seagrass meadows of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, between 0 and 120 m though normally between 1 and 60 m; old males occupy deeper water and it moves down in winter
Sexual maturity: Matures at one year old

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_rainbow_wrasse