bluehead
Thalassoma bifasciatum
Small wrasse of shallow Caribbean reefs, of no interest to anglers because of its size. It is sold for aquariums and almost never shows up on the line.
Also called: bodião-de-cabeça-azul, cara de cotorra, loro cabeza azul, bluehead wrasse
- maximum
- 25 cm
- depth
- 3–30 m
who is the bluehead
Wrasses are reef fish of the family Labridae, with an elongated body and a mouth with strong teeth. The bluehead wrasse reaches 25 cm and lives on shallow reefs, bays and seagrass areas, from the Caribbean to northern South America. It feeds mainly on zooplankton and small bottom animals, and sometimes on parasites of other fish. The large phase, with a blue head and green body, is always male, while the small yellow phase may be male or female. Being small, it is of little interest to anglers, but it is sold for aquariums.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the bluehead; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
The large phase has a bright blue head, a green body and two wide vertical black bands at the front of the body, separated by a light blue band. The small phase is yellow, with a black stripe across the middle of the body that continues as reddish spots on the head. The back is yellowish over reefs and paler in areas without reef. These bands and colors are the features that separate this species from other wrasses of the same region.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Western Atlantic, from Bermuda and Florida to the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and the whole Caribbean, down to northern South America, on reefs and shallow bays.
Habitat: Shallow reefs, bays and seagrass areas, 3 to 30 m deep.
rules for the bluehead
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It has spines in its fins, but it is not dangerous. Since it is small and rarely caught, the best is to return it to the sea quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00912, b = 3.02; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Thalassoma bifasciatum (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Thalassoma bifasciatumNames by country and language.
