Queen Coris

The Queen Coris is a large and spectacularly colored wrasse that undergoes one of the most dramatic color transformations in the marine fish world. Juveniles are strikingly beautiful with a vivid orange-red body adorned with bold white patches outlined in black, making them highly attractive to aquarists. However, as they mature, their appearance changes completely to a blue-green body with subtle striping and a distinctly different head pattern.

This species is a powerful and active swimmer that requires considerable space in captivity. In the wild, Queen Coris Wrasses inhabit sandy areas adjacent to coral reefs where they use their strong jaws to crush and consume hard-shelled invertebrates including sea urchins, snails, hermit crabs, and clams. This predatory behavior toward invertebrates makes them completely unsuitable for reef aquariums with ornamental invertebrates.

Queen Coris Wrasses are hardy once established and adapt well to aquarium foods. They are semi-aggressive, particularly toward smaller wrasses and similar-shaped fish, and their large adult size means they need very spacious accommodations. A deep sand bed is essential as they bury themselves at night, and a secure lid is mandatory to prevent escape. Despite their invert-eating habits, they are impressive display fish for large fish-only systems.