The ballan wrasse is a heavy bodied fish, with a broad head, thick lips and small mouth.

The body, head and fins are often brownish red or red, with numerous small white spots. However they can also be greenish with white spots or irregular large vertical stripes.

Juveniles are usually bright emerald green and when mature, can reach a length of 50cm.

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Fun Facts...

These fish are born female and change sex between 4 and 14 years old.

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Location...

Widespread across the northeast Atlantic, from Norway to Morocco, including the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.

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Habitat...

Inhabits inshore waters around rocks, offshore reeds and seaweeds.

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Diet...
Feeds on crustaceans and molluscs

Corkwing wrasse are usually about 15cm long, but have reached lengths of 25cm.

They are highly variable in colour, depending on the environment and the age of the fish. They have a black spot in the middle of the tail stalk and a comma-shaped spot behind the eye. Females and juveniles tend to be brown or greenish-brown, while the males are typically more brightly coloured. Both sexes have lines on the head and gill covers which brown and pale blue in the female and bright green or blue in the male.

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Fun Facts...

Some territorial males build a nest in rock crevices and guard them aggressively. Other males look like females and try to sneak-fertilise eggs.

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Location...

British marine environments.

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Habitat...

Rocks, rocky reefs and seagrass beds, and also in coastal lagoon habitats.

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Diet...
Variety of prey but mainly bivalves and copepods.

Cuckoo wrasse colouration widely varies between the males and females. The female is a rose-pink to orange-red colour with 2-3 dark spots on the rear dorsal fin. Older males have dark blue heads with blue lines along their flank. The rest of their body is orange. 

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Fun Facts...
Females lay up to 1,000 eggs, which are they protected by the male whilst in the nest. 
The females are able to change sex to males and develop the blue colouration. 

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Location... They are found in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. 

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Habitat... Marine waters. The cuckoo wrasse also requires a rocky habitat including reefs to hide amongst. 

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Diet...
Mainly crustaceans but also fish and mollusks.

The goldsinny wrasse is brown, greenish or orange-red in colour and has two dark patches on its dorsal fin and in front of the tail fin. It has a small and pointy head, with a large mouth, fleshy lips and two rows of small teeth. They reach a length of 18cm.

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Fun Facts...

These fish have been introduced into salmon farms as they prove to be a successful alternative to pesticides as they remove the parasite from the salmon.

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Location...

Found in the eastern Atlantic, from Norway southwards to Morocco, including the Birtish Isles and the southern Baltic Sea.

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Habitat...

Inhabits rocky, weed-covered substrates, to depths of about 50 metres. 

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Diet...
Feed on crustaceans, molluscs and parasites.

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