Thalassoma jansenii is not particularly common in the Maldives, unlike many other wrasses of the same genus which maintain the same basic colour pattern throughout their lives; however, it has a different colour form in the Western Pacific.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 20 cm
color
Ground colour cream, varying from yellow above to white below. Six broad rhomboidal blackish bands dorsally.
Frequently encountered on shallow reef flats, usually in depths of one metre or less.
distinctive characters
The dorsal fin of this species has 8 spines and 13 rays, the anal fin has 3 spines and 11 rays, and the pectoral fin typically has 15 rays. The body depth ranges from 3.3 to 3.9 inches in standard length, and the caudal fin is truncate in juveniles, slightly emarginate in the initial phase, and very lunate in large terminal males.