Cortez Rainbow Wrasse: The Reef's Busy Rainbow

If a cloud of small, fast, impossibly colorful fish zips past you over the reef, odds are it's Cortez rainbow wrasses — one of the most common and dazzling little fish on these reefs. Here's how to spot them near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Cortez Rainbow Wrasse · Thalassoma lucasanum

How to spot the cortez rainbow wrasse near Jacó

Look over rocky reef and around boulders, where Cortez rainbow wrasses dart about in loose groups. Most are striped in red, yellow and blue-green; the big 'supermales' add a bright blue head and a yellow saddle. They're rarely still, always flicking along with their fins.

5 fun facts about the cortez rainbow wrasse

• A traffic-stopping color scheme. Bands of red, yellow and blue-green make this one of the flashiest small fish on the Eastern Pacific reef.
• Supermales wear a crown. The largest males develop a vivid blue head and yellow midbody band, standing out from the striped crowd.
• Born female, some turn male. Many begin life as striped females and can later transform into the colorful dominant supermales.
• Part-time cleaners. Young ones pick parasites off bigger fish, doing a useful job around the reef.
• An Eastern Pacific local. It's found only along the Pacific coast of the Americas, often in big, busy numbers.

The cortez rainbow 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.