Creole wrasse

Photo: Thomas Menut · CC BY-NC

Creole wrasse form enormous aggregations — often tens of thousands of individuals — that hang in the water column above current-swept reef and pinnacle crests, feeding on zooplankton carried in the current. They are one of the Caribbean's most abundant planktivorous fish and serve as a critical prey base for larger predators including tuna, groupers, and sharks. Their purple-to-pink-and-yellow coloration intensifies during breeding aggregations when males display to groups of females. At Diamond Rock the wrasse clouds are so dense they sometimes reduce visibility near the rock's upper surfaces.