rock wrasse
Halichoeres semicinctus
Wrasse of rocks and tide pools in the Mexican Pacific, which buries itself in the sand when frightened. It is almost never caught with a rod.
Also called: bodião-de-pedra, señorita piedrera, rock wrasse
- maximum
- 38 cm
- depth
- 0–24 m
who is the rock wrasse
The rock wrasse is of the family Labridae and reaches 38 cm. It lives near the rocks, close to sand patches and in tide pools, from 0 to 24 m, from California, in the United States, to Guadalupe Island and the Gulf of California, in Mexico. When disturbed, it buries itself in the sand, and at night sleeps buried with its head out. It eats gastropods and small crustaceans, and has been seen removing parasites from other fish. Each individual starts as a female and changes to a male at about 30 cm. It spawns freely in the water and is taken for the trade and the aquarium.
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 rock wrasse; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Changes from female to male at about 30 cm in length.
identification
Elongated wrasse, tied to the rocks where it lives. It is usually seen near rocks, in sand patches and in tide pools. When frightened, it buries itself in the sand, and at night sleeps buried, with only its head out. In the same region lives the senorita, which is smaller and more closely tied to algae.
Loading the next 7 days…
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
In Latin America it occurs in Mexico, at Guadalupe Island and in the Gulf of California, near rocks and sand. It extends north to California, in the United States.
Habitat: Near rocks, in sand patches and in tide pools, from 0 to 24 m.
rules for the rock wrasse
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.
Poses no danger to anglers. It is a small, fragile fish: handle it with wet hands and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00977, b = 3.08; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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 semicinctus (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 semicinctusNames by country and language.
