Appearance
The sixbar wrasse grows to a maximum total length of 20 cm. The dorsal fin has 8 spines and 12 to 14 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 11 soft rays.It is a greenish fish with four dark bars on its upper body and two more saddle-like bars over the caudal peduncle. In larger adults, the head has a number of pink streaks radiating from near the eye.
Naming
''Thalassoma hardwicke'' was originally formally described as ''Sparus hardwicke'' in 1830 by the English John Whitchurch Bennett with the type locality given as the south coast of Ceylon. The specific name honours Bennett's friend and fellow naturalist, Major-General Thomas Hardwicke .Distribution
The sixbar wrasse is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific between 30°N and 32°S. Its range extends from East Africa and Madagascar to Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, northern Australia and various island groups in the Western Pacific. It is found on coral reefs, reef slopes and in lagoons, down to depths of 15 m or more.Status
The sixbar wrasse is a common species with a wide range. Although sometimes collected for the aquarium trade, this is thought to be of only local significance and no other major threats have been identified, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".Habitat
The sixbar wrasse is diurnal and has a home range that exceeds 1,000 m2. It forms small groups and feeds on planktonic and benthic crustaceans, foraminiferans, small fish, fish eggs and fish larvae. Males and females form pairs during the breeding season, and at this time males develop a gaudier colour and a black spot in the centre of the caudal fin.References:
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