Species: Halichoeres socialis, Social Wrasse

Halichoeres socialis Randall & Lobel, 2003

Social Wrasse

Elongate, compressed; mouth protrusible, opens at front, thick lips; rear of top jawbone not visible on cheek; toothed grinding plates in throat; enlarged canine teeth at front of both jaws (1 pair above, 2 pairs below), a canine at rear of top jaws; gill rakers 18 (17-20); gill membranes fused under throat; dorsal fin VIII-IX, 11-12, not obviously notched between spiny and soft parts; anal fin III, 11-12; pectoral 13; lateral line unbroken, but abruptly bent down under rear of dorsal fin, its tubes branched, except those on tail base; lateral line with 26-29 pored scales.

Initial phase: snout yellow; rest of head and back grey-green; a bright white stripe from cheek to lower part of the base of the tail fin, that stripe breaking into spots at the rear; a less distinct whitish stripe from nape along each side of the top of the back; a white stripe along mid-flank bounded above and below by narrow brown stripe, a prominent elongate black spot with white top and bottom edges at the center base of the tail fin. Terminal phase: head and upper front back grey-green; below and rear body yellowish; a large dark brown blotch on mid-flank above the pectoral base; a bright green blue stripe along cheek to base of tail fin, a less distinct green blue stripe from above eye along upper back, this breaking into spots at the rear; dorsal and anal fins translucent orange, with blue spots along the base and a blue outer edge; tail fin translucent orange, with lines of blue spots formed by a continuation of the 2 blue body stripes; sometimes a black spot at the base of the tail fin.

Reaches 5.5 cm.

Lives on lagoonal reefs; sand and rubble areas.

Depth range: 0-10 m.

Belize to Honduras.