Females are brown with a pale band; terminal males carry a broad crimson bar behind the head. Common on New South Wales rocky reef.
To about 50 cm, though FishBase gives 24 cm SL and the Australian sources around 40 to 50 cm TL. Juveniles are greenish brown with rows of white spots. Females are reddish, brownish-orange, green or grey, with rows of white spots along the sides. Males have a broad red band around the rear body, a white tail base behind it, red dorsal and anal fins, white cheeks and a yellow tail.
The bluethroat wrasse reaches the central New South Wales coast and is the fish to rule out. Its band is white and sits below the soft dorsal, and it has a blue chin and throat. This one’s band is red with a white tail base behind it.
Five to fifty metres on kelp-covered reef. Males are strongly territorial and have been recorded holding the same patch of reef against other males for more than two years, living with a group of up to ten females and juveniles. Sex change is at about five years and 26 to 28 cm. Spawning is April to October.
Endemic to eastern Australia, Hervey Bay to Lakes Entrance, and Lord Howe.
Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.