Green Moon Wrasse

Body without longitudinal stripes. Initial phase body yellow with light vertical red lines. Terminal phase body abruptly blue to blue-green behind pink and green head. Reddish vertical lines on body. Pectoral fins yellow on basal half, blue to black distally (Ref 9823).

Pelagic spawner.

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 14; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 11

Occurs inshore (Ref. 75154).

Occurs in groups (Ref. 90102) in clear outer lagoon and seaward reefs, over open sand and rubble as well as dense coral growth. Common is shallow exposed areas (Ref. 9710). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds mainly on shelled benthic invertebrates (crabs, shrimps, gastropods, bivalves, brittle stars, sea urchins), also on polychaete worms and fish eggs.

fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial; price category: very high; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

分布於印度-泛太平洋區，由斯里蘭卡到巴拿馬，北至日本、夏威夷海域，南至澳洲、羅得豪島等。台灣各地岩礁海域皆有分布。

中大型之隆頭魚，體色鮮豔，是適合水族觀賞的魚類，亦可食用，肉質鮮美，但易糜爛，故宜紅燒，不宜煮湯。

體稍長且側扁。吻部短；上下頜具一列尖齒，前方各具 2犬齒，無後犬齒。頭部無鱗，僅鰓蓋上部有少許鱗片；頸部裸出。D. VIII, 13；A. III, 11；G.R. 19-20；腹鰭尖形；尾鰭截形，上下緣或有延長。體色因魚齡大小與性別而差別極大，雄魚體暗綠色；頭淡紅褐色，具許多與體色相同的細色帶，一條在頭下半部成一環紋，二條從眼前緣分別向上下頜伸出，另有三條從眼後緣伸出分別止於胸鰭基；各鰭均為黃色，背鰭前部硬棘間有一黑斑，背鰭中央、臀鰭基及尾鰭上下緣均具一紅縱帶，胸鰭上半暗藍色；體側鱗片常有橫線紋。雌魚體色暗黃色至黄綠色，其餘色斑與雄魚同。

主要棲息於珊瑚礁海域中，由潮間帶到30公尺深的亞潮帶。喜出沒在礁湖、向海礁區的外側，小圓石、泥地混合或緻密的珊瑚礁區上方。白天不停地以波浪狀的游動覓食，夜晚則休憩於礁區的岩縫凹處。主要以有殼的底棲性動物，如螃蟹、小蝦、小貝、海膽、海星等為食，偶爾也吃多毛類及魚卵等。

The yellow-brown wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens) is a species of wrasse native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where they are found from Sri Lanka to the Hawaiian Islands and from southern Japan to Australia. An inhabitant of coral reefs, it occurs in schools at depths from 1 to 30 m (3.3 to 98.4 ft). It can reach 30 cm (12 in) in total length. This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can also be found in the aquarium trade.