Corkwing wrasse
(Symphodus melops)
General data
The corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) is a species of wrasse native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Norway to Morocco and out to the Azores, as well as being found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea.
This species can be found in areas of rock or eelgrass at depths from 1 to 30 m (3.3 to 98.4 ft).
Its body is deep and compressed sideways, with a single, long dorsal fin.
It is usually about 15 cm (5.9 in) long, but has reached 25 cm (9.8 in).
It is highly variable in colour, depending on the environment and age of the fish. The corkwing wrasse has a black spot in the middle of the tail stalk, and a comma-shaped spot behind the eye. Females and juveniles tend to be brown or greenish-brown, while the males are typically more brightly coloured. Both sexes have lines on their heads and gill covers which are brown and pale blue in the female, and bright green or blue in the male.
It feeds on a large variety of prey, but mainly bivalves and copepods.
