Postcard from the Reef – Juvenile Rockmover Wrasse

The juvenile rockmover wrasse, sometimes called a dragon wrasse is a wild appearing fish. With an abundance of frilly appendages it moves like a bit of seaweed caught in the swell. In my experience this fish is always found in an open area, a coral or sand flat between large heads or in wave channels.

While not rare, they are not all that common either. This is another fish that is frustrating to photograph, it moves constantly, never quite letting you get close. The only advantage is that it keeps the same territory, making the same circuit, even when bothered by a large, noisy diver with a strobe.

Not a great shot, the fish is not quite sharp and the lighting is poor. Best I have so far, despite several dragon chases. I’ll just have to try again…

Juvenile Rockmover Wrasse
A juvenile rockmover wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus) imitates floating seaweed above the coral

Author: Andrew

An electrical engineer, amateur astronomer, and diver, living and working on the island of Hawaiʻi.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *