Five stripe wrasseThalassoma quinquevittatum
Category
- Seagrass
Description
Thalassoma quinquevittatum is of the order Perciformes and family Labridae. Common names include Five striped surge wrasse, Fivestripe wrasse, Red-banded wrasse and Red-ribbon wrasse. They are a brightly coloured fish with an overall green body colour and longitudinal red to purple strips. Males showcase brighter colours during breeding, their red lines turn into purple and the abdomen turns bright yellow. Two unequal red stripes are present of the dorsal half portion of the body. Pectoral fins have a green base. It has total of 8 dorsal spines, 12 to 14 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines and 10 to 12 anal soft rays.
Habitat and ecology
Thalassoma quinquevittatum is distributed across the Indo-Pacific region. Recorded depth range is between 1 to 40m. It can be found on lagoon reefs, exposed seaward reefs, sallow exposed areas, and around Acropora corals and algal bottoms. Males can be found in loose aggregations and females also stay close by. Juveniles are secretive and hide. Its diet consists of crustaceans, small fishes, molluscs and sea urchins.
Conservation and management
According to the IUCN Red list, this species is categorised as being of ‘Least Concern’. It is collected for aquarium trade and there are localised threats. No conservation measures are in place for this species. It is present in many MPAs[1].
Did you know?
This species can reach a maximum of 17cm.
