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Christmas wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum) — Labridae

Christmas wrasse

Thalassoma trilobatum
Family: Labridae
LC · Least Concern

The Christmas wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum) is a saltwater fish of the family Labridae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–10.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-Pacific
Edibility
Rarely eaten

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Description

The Christmas wrasse is a colourful wrasse from the Indo-Pacific. The species grows to about 30 cm and has a green body with red to pink cross-bars built up of a chain of blocks, giving it a festive look. As a reef-dweller it searches over rock and coral bottoms in the turbulent surge zone for small crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins. Like many wrasses it is a protogynous hermaphrodite. The fish is harmless to humans. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Christmas wrasse?

The Christmas wrasse has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly green and shows a vertical stripes pattern. Red vertical bars in a chain of blocks; protogynous hermaphrodite

Where does the Christmas wrasse live?

The Christmas wrasse lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Indo-Pacific

How big does the Christmas wrasse get?

The Christmas wrasse grows to a maximum of about 30 cm.

Is the Christmas wrasse dangerous to humans?

No, the Christmas wrasse is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Christmas wrasse edible?

The Christmas wrasse is rarely eaten.

More photos

Christmas wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum) — Labridae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) Jacob, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Christmas wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum) — Labridae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) François Libert, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA))
Christmas wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum) — Labridae — 4
Wikimedia Commons — Philippe Bourjon (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Christmas wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum) — Labridae — 5
Wikimedia Commons — NPS photo - Bill Eichenlaub (Public domain)
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Christmas wrasse verified
Scientific name
Thalassoma trilobatum
Family
Labridae
Other names
Christmas wrasse; Ladder wrasse; Green-barred wrasse; Green-blocked wrasse; Lagger wrasse; Parrotfish; Wrasse verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Green inferred
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Crescent (lunate) inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thick / fleshy sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
10.0 verified
Natural range
Indo-Pacific verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins inferred
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
Seasonality
Surf-dwelling reef wrasse; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Red vertical bars in a chain of blocks; protogynous hermaphrodite sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Fishing with natural bait (fish, shrimp, worm) or lures close to reef and rock structures. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Thalassoma

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Fin

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