Mediterranean rainbow wrasse

The Mediterranean rainbow wrasse (Coris julis) is a small, colourful fish in the family Labridae. It can be found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the northeast Atlantic Ocean from Sweden to Senegal (though it is a rare wanderer to the southern British Isles).^[3][2] Records of this species south from Senegal and the Cape Verde Islands are actually the closely related Coris atlantica.^[2]

Mediterranean rainbow wrasse
Male in the coast of Cape Palos (Spain)
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Labriformes
Family:	Labridae
Genus:	Coris
Species:	C. julis
Binomial name
Coris julis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms[2]
List Labrus julis Linnaeus, 1758 Julis julis (Linnaeus, 1758) Labrus paroticus Linnaeus, 1758 Labrus perdica Forsskål, 1775 Labrus infuscus Walbaum, 1792 Labrus subfuscus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 Labrus keslik Lacépède, 1801 Labrus cettii Rafinesque, 1810 Labrus giofredi Risso, 1810 Julis mediterranea Risso, 1827 Julis speciosa Risso, 1827 Coris speciosa (Risso, 1827) Julis vulgaris J. Fleming, 1828 Julis melanura R. T. Lowe, 1839 Coris festiva (Valenciennes, 1839) Julis vulgaris Valenciennes, 1839 Coris taeniatus Steindachner, 1863 Julis azorensis Fowler, 1919

It feeds on amphipods, isopods, sea urchins, polychaete, shrimps, and small gastropods.^[2]

Description

Female near Livorno (Mediterranean population)

Like many wrasses, C. julis is a sequential hermaphrodite: all start in the smaller initial phase. These initial-phase individuals (both females and males) can turn into the larger secondary-phase males.^[4] At a length of about 18 cm (7 in), all individuals are secondary-phase males.^[2] The maximum length for the species is 25 cm (10 in). There is a marked difference in the appearance of the two phases. In the Mediterranean Sea, the secondary-phase male is green, blue, or brown, with white belly, a dark blue spot over the ventral fin, and a bright orange band on the side, while the smaller primary-phase females and males are brown with yellowish sides and white bellies.^[5] Populations in the Atlantic differ in colour and genetics from the Mediterranean population, but are maintained in a single species at present.^[1][4] If found to be separate, the scientific name Coris festiva (at present considered a synonym of C. julis) is available for the Atlantic population.

Showing colour changes as females (left) transition into males (right)

Habitat

It is typically found near the shore in places with seagrass or rocks. It is usually found at depths of 0–60 m (0–197 ft), but occurs as deep as 120 m (390 ft).^[2]

Gallery

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  Female
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  Male
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  Females
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  Females feeding
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  Female
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  Female
• 
  Male
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  Male displaying dorsal fin
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  Male
• 
  Male