Goldsinny wrasse
(Ctenolabrus rupestris)
General data
The goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris) is a species of ray-finned fish, a wrasse from the family Labridae which is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and associated seas. This species is the only known member of its genus.
The goldsinny wrasse can reach a total length of 18 cm (7.1 in), though most do not exceed 12 cm (4.7 in).
Its coloration is brown, greenish or orange-red and there are two noticeable dark spots which readily identify it from other eastern Atlantic wrasses, one on the dorsal fin and one situated on the caudal peduncle immediately in front of the caudal fin. It has a slender body with a small, pointed head and large eyes. The large, fleshy lipped mouth is equipped with two rows of small teeth in each jaw.
The goldsinny wrasse is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Norway south as far as Morocco. It is also found throughout the western and central Mediterranean Sea as far as Antalya in Turkey, but it is absent from the far eastern Mediterranean. It extends through the Sea of Marmara into the Black Sea.
