Chameleon Wrasse: The Reef's Color-Changing Sand-Diver

True to its name, the chameleon wrasse can shift its coloring to suit its mood and surroundings — and at night it does something stranger still. Here's how to spot it near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Chameleon Wrasse · Halichoeres dispilus

How to spot the chameleon wrasse near Jacó

Look over sand patches and the edges of rocky reef, where chameleon wrasses cruise close to the bottom. They're slim and pale greenish with a pink or lavender stripe along the body. Watch for the quick, darting way they comb the sand and reef edge for food.

5 fun facts about the chameleon wrasse

• A living mood ring. It can lighten, darken and shift its tones to match its surroundings or its state of mind.
• Sleeps under the sand. At night it dives into the sandy bottom and buries itself, hidden safely until morning.
• A fin-rowing swimmer. It moves with the gentle pectoral-fin 'oar stroke' typical of the wrasse family.
• A sand sifter. It hunts small invertebrates along the sand and rubble at the reef's edge.
• An Eastern Pacific native. It's found only along the Pacific coast of the Americas, common over sandy-reef margins.

The chameleon wrasse is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.