Common Name: Blackbarred Wrasse

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Western Pacific region: New Caledonia and Vanuatu, eastern Australia. In Australia recorded from Torres Strait, the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef in Queensland south to northern New South Wales and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents coastal reefs, lagoons and tidal pools, commonly on outer reef areas. Depth to 15 m.

Additional Notes: Dark green with pale cheek and fore belly, adults with steeper forehead, oblique yellow band above dorsal edge of operculum, two broad yellow margined white stripes and white tail base. Usually solitary as adult, juveniles may be in small groups. Once thought to be Thalassoma jansenii  which is now recognised as only occurring west of Torres Strait. Sub-adult in top photograph, adult in lower photograph, note more rounded snout. Grows to 20 cm. 

References: 

R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.338.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=thalassoma+nigrofasciatum. Accessed 11/07/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Thalassoma-nigrofasciatum.html. Accessed 11/07/18.