Sand wrasse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sand wrasse |
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The queen coris (Coris formosa) is a beautiful fish. It is also called the sand wrasse or Indian Ocean wrasse. This fish lives in the Indian Ocean. You can find it from the Red Sea all the way to Sri Lanka.
Many people like to keep queen coris in aquariums. This is because of their bright, amazing colors. A cool thing about this fish is how much it changes. Young queen coris look, act, and eat very differently from adult ones.
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What Does the Queen Coris Look Like?
The queen coris is related to the Coris gaimard fish. Young queen coris are about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long. But they can grow much bigger, up to 60 centimeters (2 feet)!
Their colors change a lot as they grow. Young fish are orange and brown. They have long white spots on their top half. They might even remind you of a Clown Fish!
As they get older, they become very colorful. Adult queen coris are blue-green. They have dark edges and dark blue spots, especially near their tail. A red-orange line runs along their back towards the tail. Near their head, adults also have bright, light blue lines.
This fish has nine spines on its back fin. It also has twelve soft rays on its back fin. Its bottom fin has three spines. The queen coris has small teeth that stick out. These teeth help them eat hard-shelled foods.
Scientists think their color changes depend on how deep they live. But the biggest changes happen as they grow from young to adult. Color is very important for queen coris. They use their bright colors to find partners and to show who is in charge.
Where Do Queen Coris Live?
Adult queen coris live in warm, tropical waters. They like coral reefs and can be found from 2 to 50 meters (7 to 164 feet) deep. The water temperature is usually between 24°C and 27°C (75°F to 81°F).
Young queen coris often live in tide pools. Adult fish usually live in rocky areas or near corals. Sometimes they are found in areas with lots of plants. You can find this fish in the Western Indian Ocean. This includes the Southern Red Sea, South Africa, and east to Sri Lanka.
What Do Queen Coris Eat?
Queen coris eat animals with hard shells. This includes crustaceans like shrimp and crabs. They also eat echinoderms, such as sea urchins, and small snails.
As they grow older, their teeth become very strong. This helps them break open hard shells. Adult queen coris can be very good at hunting these foods. Young fish eat smaller creatures, like krill. They do this until they are big enough to hunt hard-shelled prey.
How Do Queen Coris Reproduce?
Like most fish, queen coris lay eggs. This means they are oviparous. They are also protogynous fish. This is a special way of reproducing. It means they can change their gender from female to male.
In most groups of queen coris, there are mostly females. A female's reproductive parts develop first. But if a male is needed for breeding, one of the females will change into a male.
Queen coris can have many partners during breeding. Or they might pair up with just one fish. Males are usually in charge. They often have many females in their group, especially when it's time to reproduce. This can happen even though queen coris usually live alone. Scientists think males try to attract females by swimming next to them and fluttering their fins.
How Do Queen Coris Behave?
Queen coris can be quite active fish. Males can be especially active during mating season. Fish often show this kind of behavior to protect their space.
The queen coris can be a threat to smaller fish. They are also very good at hunting small animals without backbones. If you have them in an aquarium, they like to move sand and rocks around. They also tend to dig themselves into the sand.
Digging in the sand can be for different reasons. They might lay their eggs under the sand to keep them safe. They also dig to find food, as many of their prey live in the sand. They might also dig to sleep or to make a home.
The queen coris is a fish that likes to be alone. In a tank, they can be quite active, especially when they get big. They need a lot of space to swim. When they are new to a tank, they might hide under the sand. If adult queen coris are too big for their tank, they might try to hide in small cracks in coral or rocks.
Are Queen Coris Endangered?
The queen coris is not a very important fish for people who fish for a living. But it is popular in the aquarium trade. The good news is that this species is not in danger. It is listed as "least concern."
The aquarium trade is the main threat to the species. However, it is not causing serious harm right now. This means there is a very low chance of them becoming extinct.
