Blue-spotted wrasse

The juvenile fish swims back and forth like a piece of seaweed.

Scientific name	Anampses caeruleopunctatus
English name	Blue-spotted wrasse
Japanese name	斑薄倍良
Classification	Actinopterygii
Classification details	Perciformes Labridae
Full length	~30cm
Distribution	Indo-Pacific.

Characteristics

Adult males have a brown background with a row of bright blue spots.

The juvenile fish are a dull gray or brown color, and at first glance look like pieces of seaweed. They also swim unsteadily, as if they are about to be swept away by the water. However, if you look closely, you can see that they try not to leave their favorite spots.

Ecology

They can be found on rocky reefs and coral reefs. The juvenile fish look like they are mimicking seaweed and live near the seabed.

Habitat

Arasaki, Miura Peninsula

We discovered them drifting near the diving fish at a depth of 3 to 4 meters in Arasaki.

It seemed to be drifting about freely, but when I got too close it got wary and flew away, so it was difficult to photograph. It seemed to like being around the geese, so I waited for a while and took a photo.