Last Update : Sunday 25 November, 2001 8:40 PM

		Illust : Anuwat Saisaen

Moon wrasse
Scientific name	Thalassoma lunare
Common name	Moon wrasse
Size	25 centimeters
Dispersion	Both the Gulf and Andaman.
Area found	Coral reef in general. Often found in shallow water.
Depth	1 – 30 meters
Feed on	Almost everything, be it flora or fauna.
Situation	One of the wrasse fish often found.
Conservation	Not a problem. Can still live happily.
Fish Tip	Found every where. But he is lovely and beautiful if observed carefully.

          Coral reef ichtheologist or ‘fish man’ usually says to each other that if any one thinks he is a true expert on other fish, try to study the wrasse. He will surely be overwhelmed. There are 60 Genera and 400 species of fish in Family Labridae. Not only that, the looks and colors change according to age groups. Some times children and parent have no similarity at all, no matter how you look. It takes tens of years to accomplish knowledge enough to accurately identify them.

          For beginners, if you would like to see the wrasse, look at this one. You will surely find him. Moon wrasse can be found at the depth of 1 meter to tens of meters swimming in the coral reef. Mainly, he stays alone. May be he joins in a group of other wrasse.

          This moon wrasse eats every thing. I used to see him nibbling at the seaweed, eating leftover food. He even likes bread. His favorite food is fish roe. The roe of damsels is considered a still target. I used to spend the whole dive watching moon wrasse attacking the roe of niger's damsel. The parents tried to protect their roe without success because Mr. Moon wrasse was very quick.

          If you swim along while making a dive to watch this kind of fish, you might have a chance to see him. But if there is some special event like a goat fish digging on the sand causing a spread of food, the moon wrasse will charge in very quickly. He surely is one of the first one in the queue. Some times less than one minute he is there. I do not know where from. He ranks one of the top smeller in the reef.

          This fish is like all other wrasse, reproduce by letting the ova float along the water mass in the form of pelagic egg, before turning into plankton. It will settle down on the floor at the size of 0.5 – 1.5 centimeters long, looking for a hiding place around the coral. The young like to live with tabulate coral. They look for food in the daytime and hide away to sleep at night.

          I would like to suggest that you remember him well because he is easy to find and colorful. If the beginning divers can remember him, you will be sure to find him.

 

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