Sunset Wrasse: The Reef's Green-and-Pink Swimmer

Named for the warm colors that wash across its body, the sunset wrasse is a green fish laced with pink and purple lines — a real looker when the light catches it. Here's how to spot it near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Sunset Wrasse · Thalassoma grammaticum

How to spot the sunset wrasse near Jacó

Look over rocky reef, where sunset wrasses row along with their pectoral fins. They're green-bodied with fine pink-to-purple markings on the head and fins, and the biggest males glow the brightest. Like other wrasses they're active and rarely sit still for long.

5 fun facts about the sunset wrasse

• Colors like a sunset. The blend of green with pink and purple streaks gives the fish both its name and its glow.
• A fin-rowing swimmer. It moves with the typical wrasse 'oar stroke' of the pectoral fins rather than beating its tail.
• Brightest when biggest. Large dominant males carry the most intense coloring; smaller fish are more subdued.
• Sex-changers. Like many wrasses, individuals can change from female to male as they grow and move up the ranks.
• An Eastern Pacific native. It lives only along the Pacific coast of the Americas, a common sight on rocky reefs.

The sunset 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.