This is Gomphosus varius or Bird wrasse
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Does this fish look familiar to you? It should, if you read last month’s blog. This is the Bird Wrasse, Gomphosus Varius.
He looks slightly different than the image last month. That is because it is a terminal, or fully mature male. He is a beautiful emerald green with a blue tipped nose. There is a translucent blue spot on the very back of their tail/caudal fin. The image last month was the same fish but in it’s initial phase as a young male or a female. Like all wrasse species, they are synchronous protogynous hermaphadites. Meaning, they are born female and have the ability to change into a male later in their life. This type of change may occur due to social circumstances or perhaps food availability.
They can get up to 12 inches in length. They both have a long nose/snout that enables them to reach between the coral and into the cracks and crevices of the reef. It is in there that they find their food, which are crabs and mollusks. They have pectoral/side fins that flutter up and down much like a bird flapping it’s wings, which helps to propel them through the water.
The image above was taken during a Private Ocean Project Maui Snorkel Tour.
This colorful image was taken off a West Maui Beach by the dedicated staff of Ocean Project Maui. They offer custom, private snorkel tours around the island of Maui, Hawaii. Each #COLORSOFTHEOCEAN image you see in our monthly blog, was captured during a private guided snorkel tour. These amazing images, as well as images above and below the water of the clients/supporters are included in every tour at no additional cost.
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