Yellowtail wrasse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yellowtail wrasse
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Synonyms
Julis gaimard Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 Coris gaimard gaimard (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) Julis greenovii E. T. Bennett, 1828 Coris greenovii (E. T. Bennett, 1828) Julis ganymede J. W. Bennett, 1830 Julis leucorhynchos Bleeker, 1856 Coris pulcherrima Günther, 1862 Julis gaimard speciosa Fowler, 1946 Coris gaimard speciosa (Fowler, 1946)

The yellowtail wrasse, also known as the African coris, is a colorful fish that lives in the ocean. Its scientific name is Coris gaimard. This amazing fish is a type of wrasse, which is a family of fish known for their bright colors and interesting behaviors.

You can find the yellowtail wrasse in the warm, tropical waters of the central Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. This includes places like Christmas Islands, Hawaii, and even near Japan and Australia.

Living in the Coral Reef

The yellowtail wrasse loves to live in coral reefs. These are like underwater cities made of coral. It prefers areas where there's a mix of sand, small rocks, and coral. You can find them swimming at depths from about 1 meter (3 feet) down to 50 meters (164 feet).

A Popular Aquarium Fish

Because of its beautiful colors, the yellowtail wrasse is also a popular fish for aquariums. Many public aquariums, like those you might visit, have these fish on display. People who have large home aquariums sometimes keep them too.

What Does It Look Like?

The yellowtail wrasse changes its look as it grows up! This is a really cool feature of this fish.

Size of the Wrasse

This fish can grow up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long. That's almost as long as a ruler! However, most of them are a bit smaller, usually around 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) long.

Young Fish Colors

When the yellowtail wrasse is young, it looks very different. It's a bright red color. It also has big, white spots that are outlined in black. This makes it easy to spot against the coral.

A young Coris gaimard in Izu, Japan

Adult Fish Colors

As the fish gets older and becomes an adult, its colors change dramatically.

• Its face and fins turn a pretty pink color.
• Its tail fin becomes a bright, sunny yellow.
• The front part of its body turns green.
• Towards its tail, the body gets darker and is covered in bright blue specks.
• Adults also get a very bright orange color near their head.
• The back part of their body becomes shaded and has very bright blue spots with dark blue rings.

These color changes help the fish blend in with its surroundings at different stages of its life.