The Macropharyngodon bipartitus is a small, dull-looking wrasse at first glance, but upon closer inspection, both males and females have stunningly intricate color patterns, making them a popular aquarium fish.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 12 cm
color
Females orange with white spots, and a large black and blue area on belly. Males dull orange-red with green and purple stripes on head, becoming blotches posteriorly. Orange area under soft dorsal.
This species is often found in environments with a mixture of broken coral, sand, and rubble. It feeds on benthic invertebrates, which are animals that live on or near the bottom of the ocean.
distinctive characters
This fish has a dorsal fin with nine spines and eleven rays, an anal fin with three spines and eleven rays, a pectoral fin with twelve rays, a body depth of 2.6 to 3.1 inches in standard length, a head that is naked, no median predorsal scales, and the fifth to sixth dorsal soft rays are usually the longest. Its caudal fin is rounded.