Green birdmouth wrasse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Green birdmouth wrasse |
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The green birdmouth wrasse, also known as Gomphosus caeruleus, is a cool fish that belongs to the wrasse family, called Labridae. It gets its name from its unique, long snout that looks a bit like a bird's beak! These fish are often seen in aquariums because of their bright colors.
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Where Does the Green Birdmouth Wrasse Live?
This tropical fish calls the Indian Ocean its home. You can find it all the way from East Africa down to South Africa, and across to the Andaman Sea.
It loves to hang out around rocky reefs and coral, especially in areas with lots of coral. You'll usually spot them in lagoons and reefs that face the open ocean. They can live in water from about 3 feet (1 meter) deep down to about 115 feet (35 meters) deep.
What Does the Green Birdmouth Wrasse Look Like?
The green birdmouth wrasse can grow to be about 12.5 inches (32 centimeters) long. Remember that special 'beak-like' snout? That's one of its most noticeable features!
These fish look different depending on whether they are male or female. This is called being sexually dimorphic.
- Males are mostly dark blue. They have light blue edges on their pectoral fins (the ones on their sides) and bright lime green dorsal fins (on their back) and anal fins (on their belly).
- Females have a dark stripe that goes through their eye. Their anal and caudal fins (their tail fin) are yellow.
- Young fish (juveniles) are pale in color. They have a faint dark streak that runs from their snout, through their eye, and onto their body.
It's easy to mix up the green birdmouth wrasse with another similar fish called the Gomphosus varius, or birdnose wrasse. But there are a few ways to tell them apart!
- They live in different places.
- Male birdnose wrasses have a bright green stripe along their sides.
- Female birdnose wrasses do not have a yellow tail.
- Young birdnose wrasses have a green back.
This fish has 8 strong spines and 13 soft rays in its dorsal fin. Its anal fin has 3 spines and 11 soft rays.
What Do They Eat?
The green birdmouth wrasse enjoys a diet of small invertebrates. These are tiny creatures without backbones, like small crustaceans or worms that live in the coral and rocks.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Scientists don't know a lot about how these fish reproduce. There's still much to learn about their breeding habits!
