Find a Fish
Brown Spotted Wrasse
Notolabrus parilus (Richardson, 1850)
A Brown Spotted Wrasse at a depth of 14 m, north-western Kangaroo Island, South Australia, December 2003. View larger image. Photo: Erik Schlögl.
The Brown Spotted Wrasse can be recognised by its colouration. Females and juveniles are usually brownish or green, with a row of white spots on the sides of the body. There are irregular markings radiating out from the eyes. Males are reddish brown to brown above and white below. They have an irregular white stripe along the side of the body and orange, brown or white spots on the body.
This species grows to 49 cm in length.
It is endemic to Australia, occurring in coastal algae covered rocky reefs to about 20 m in depth. It is known from southern Victoria to the central coast of Western Australia, but is most common in southern Western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The Brown Spotted Wrasse is also known as the Brown-spotted Parrotfish, Blue-spotted Parrotfish, and Orange Spotted Wrasse.
Related links
- Blue-throated Wrasse fact sheet
- Crimson-banded Wrasse fact sheet
- View the Wrasse list
Further reading
- Gomon, M.F. & B.C. Russell. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
