Ornate wrasse

Photo: francescochiaromonte · CC BY-NC

The ornate wrasse is one of the most tropically coloured fish in the Mediterranean — males display vivid green, blue, and orange bands that intensify during courtship displays. They are common on shallow, well-lit reefs and rocky areas up to 20 m, where they pick invertebrates from crevices and clean parasites from larger fish. Their abundance at Ustica reflects the health of the shallow reef community, which benefits from both reserve protection and the island's clean, offshore water quality.