#coris gaimard

Yellowtail Coris - Coris gaimard

Yellowtail Coris - Coris gaimard

Yellowtail Coris - Coris gaimard

Yellowtail coris, terminal phase - Coris gaimard

Yellowtail Coris, old juvenile - Coris gaimard

Yellowtail Coris - Coris gaimard

Yellowtail coris (Coris gaimard) by David R Via Flickr: Oahu, Hawaii

The yellowtail coris will transform not once but twice as it matures. At a sub-adult stage, depicted here, the body coloration changes from red-orange to green, and the white bands are replaced by blue spots down the rear portion of the body and orange accents along both its dorsal and bottom anal fins, and across its face. When fully grown, the yellowtail coris can reach lengths of a foot or more, and may be found rooting up sea urchins for a meal. Fish close to this size are typically males, and sport their final transformation: a bright yellow to green mid-body bar that identifies the fish as a terminal male, meaning he’s a dominant spawner. Lesser males tend to have more drab colorations, and aren’t as likely to attract spawning partners. (Photograph: Richard Smith)