ΘΑΛΑΣΣΙΟ ΕΙΔΟΣ

Peacock Wrasse

About

Completely harmless to swimmers. If handled, it may give a light nip with its beak-like mouth, but nothing serious.

The most common wrasse in the Aegean, often seen in shallow water hiding in holes on the seabed. Symphodus tinca constantly changes colour depending on mood, age and sex - from greenish-brown in females to vivid green-blue with red spots in males. It sleeps literally buried in the sand and wakes late in the morning. It's curious: if you stay still nearby, it will often come out of its hole to look at you.

It has an elongated body 15-35cm long, a very pointed beak-like snout, and thick lips. Colouring is variable: a greenish-brown base with dozens of small dark and red spots, blue lines on the cheek, and a yellowish iris. Males are more vividly coloured, females more brownish.

It lives on rocky seabeds with algae, seagrass meadows and rock slabs riddled with holes, at depths of 0-50m - always close to some form of shelter. It's carnivorous, feeding on small crustaceans, shrimp, worms, small snails and sea urchins, cracking their shells with its strong teeth. It breeds from April to July: the male builds a nest of seaweed in a shallow hole and guards the eggs until they hatch, becoming particularly aggressive during that period.

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