slippery dick
Halichoeres bivittatus
Wrasse of shallow reefs, with two wide dark bands on the body. It eats fish and snails and is rarely sought by recreational anglers.
Also called: bodião-de-duas-listras, doncella rayada, doncella verde, slippery dick
- maximum
- 35 cm
- record/max.
- 0.1 kg
- depth
- 1–15 m
who is the slippery dick
Wrasse of the family Labridae, reaching 35 cm and weighing up to 146 g. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, and throughout the Caribbean. It lives on rocky and coral reefs, in shallow waters of 1 to 15 m, and is less common in seagrass beds. It feeds on other fish and snails. During breeding, it forms courtship groups. In fishing, it has commercial use and is also used 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 slippery dick; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
It has two very distinct dark stripes. The upper one runs from the snout, past the eye, to the base of the tail, and the lower one is fainter, on the underside of the body. A two-colored spot sits on the edge of the gill cover, inside the upper stripe. Large adult males are green on the back and yellowish green on the flanks, with the two stripes in a purplish tone. The head and tail have irregular pale red bands.
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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 North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, throughout the Caribbean. In Brazil there are records from Maranhão to Rio de Janeiro.
Habitat: Rocky and coral reefs, in shallow waters of 1 to 15 m.
coast
rules for the slippery dick
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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.
No dangerous spines or venom. There are reports of ciguatera in this species, so avoid eating specimens of doubtful origin.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 3.07; 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: Halichoeres bivittatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Halichoeres bivittatusNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
