Yellowtail Wrasse Identification Guide
Identify this reef wrasse by its greenish adult body, blue-spotted scales, and bright yellow tail fin.
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Key identification features
- Elongated, torpedo-shaped body typical of Coris-type wrasses
- Adults are pale green to blue-green with a mosaic of small blue spots and lines on each scale
- Bright yellow, often translucent, tail fin that stands out sharply against the body color
- Steep, sloped forehead in large terminal-phase males, sometimes with a slight bump
- Juveniles are strikingly different: bright orange-red with irregular white patches edged in black
- Reaches roughly 30-40 cm as an adult
Common look-alikes
- Juvenile stage vs. adult: juveniles are so differently colored (orange-red with white saddle patches) that they are often mistaken for a separate species; the retained yellow in the tail through some transitional stages is the link
- Clown coris: adult males can show a similarly sloped head, but lack the clean yellow tail and instead show a broader pattern of blue-green blotching without the tail contrast
- Moon wrasse: also green-bodied, but has a crescent-shaped yellow mark on the tail rather than a fully yellow tail fin, and a blue-lined face
Where you'll see one
Yellowtail Wrasse live over sandy patches, rubble, and coral reef edges in the Indo-Pacific, from shallow lagoons down to about 30 m, often seen foraging alone across open sand near reef structure.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell an adult from a juvenile Yellowtail Wrasse?
Juveniles are bright orange-red with white saddle patches edged in black, while adults turn pale green-blue with fine blue spotting and a solid yellow tail fin.
What separates a Yellowtail Wrasse from a moon wrasse?
The Yellowtail Wrasse has a fully yellow tail fin, whereas the moon wrasse shows only a crescent-shaped yellow band on an otherwise green tail.