Wrasse

The wrasses are a family, the Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 82 genera.

They are usually small fish, mostly less than  long, although the largest, the humphead wrasse, can measure up to .

 Etymology 
The word "wrasse" comes via Cornish from the Welsh word gwrach meaning an old woman or hag.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Wrasse

 Taxonomy 

 Subgroups and tribes 

 Cheilines
 Hypsigenyines
 Julidines
 Labrichthyines
 Labrines
 Novaculines
 Pseudocheilines
 Pseudolabrines
 Scarines

 Genera 

 Acantholabrus
 Achoerodus
 Ammolabrus
 Anampses
 Anchichoerops
 Austrolabrus
 Bodianus
 Centrolabrus
 Cheilinus
 Cheilio
 Choerodon
 Cirrhilabrus
 Clepticus
 Conniella
 Coris
 Ctenolabrus
 Cymolutes
 Decodon
 Diproctacanthus
 Doratonotus
 Dotalabrus
 Epibulus
 Eupetrichthys
 Frontilabrus
 Gomphosus
 Halichoeres
 Hemigymnus
 Hologymnosus
 Iniistius
 Labrichthys
 Labroides
 Labropsis
 Labrus
 Lachnolaimus
 Lappanella
 Larabicus
 Leptojulis
 Macropharyngodon
 Malapterus
 Minilabrus
 Notolabrus
 Novaculichthys
 Novaculoides
 Novaculops
 Ophthalmolepis
 Oxycheilinus
 Oxyjulis
 Paracheilinus
 Parajulis
 Pictilabrus
 Polylepion
 Pseudocheilinops
 Pseudocheilinus
 Pseudocoris
 Pseudodax
 Pseudojuloides
 Pseudolabrus
 Pteragogus
 Sagittalarva
 Semicossyphus
 Stethojulis
 Suezichthys
 Symphodus
 Tautoga
 Tautogolabrus
 Terelabrus
 Thalassoma
 Wetmorella
 Xenojulis
 Xiphocheilus
 Xyrichtys

 The cleaner wrasse 

Cleaner wrasses are the best-known of the cleaner fish.

 Feeding methods 
They are carnivores, feeding on a wide range of small invertebrates. Many smaller wrasses follow the feeding trails of larger fish, eating invertebrates left by big fish.

Wrasses can put their jaws forwards, usually with separate jaw teeth that jut outwards.

Many species can be recognized by their thick lips. The inside of these lips is curiously folded, which gave rise the German name of Lippfische. The dorsal fin has 8–21 spines and 6–21 soft rays, usually running most of the length of the back.

Wrasse are sexually dimorphic. Many species are capable of changing sex. Juveniles are a mix of males and females (known as Initial Phase or IP individuals) but the largest adults become territory-holding (Terminal Phase or TP) males.

 Related pages 

 List of fish common names

 References 

 Other websites 

 Wrasse photos on Sealife Collection