Creole Wrasse

A schooling wrasse that hovers well off the substrate in loose midwater aggregations, feeding on zooplankton drifting past the reef face — unusual for a family of mostly bottom-foraging fish. Adults are deep violet-purple; juveniles carry a striking two-tone yellow-and-purple pattern before maturing.

Open water above steep reef drop-offs and walls

Diurnal zooplankton feeder in loose midwater schools; shelters in crevices at night