Thalassoma amblycephalum

Two-tone wrasse | Bluehead Wrasse | Bluntheaded Wrasse | Rainbow Wrasse
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum, female, Coral Sea, Australia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum, juvenile, Coral Sea, Australia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum, male, NSW, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum, male, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum, Naigani Is, Fiji, Photo: Andrew Green
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum, Lord Howe Is, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum, juvenile, Sydney, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum, juvenile, Lord Howe Is, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
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Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum
Thalassoma amblycephalum

Distribution

Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

Brightly coloured male more slender and more lunate tail than other Thalassoma species. Juveniles school close to coral, distinguished from numerous similar small wrasses by gold colour on upper and lower tail base and tail.


Information

Max Size: 16 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 19.1-31.2°C

Depth: 1-15 m

Habitat Generalization Index: 22.92

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Occurrence: Common (29.5% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Many (39 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: RD Stuart-Smith, GJ Edgar, AJ Green, IV Shaw. 2015. Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland