Brown wrasse (Labrus merula)

Scientific name: Labrus merula Linnaeus, 1758

Brown wrasse (Labrus merula)

The Brown wrasse (Labrus merula) is a marine fish of the family Labridae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, Portugal to Morocco and Azores. Also in the Mediterranean.

Biology

Adults are found around rocks and seaweeds. Sometime schooling, more solitary when older. Feed on sea urchins, ophiuroids, mollusks, crabs and worms. They reach maturity when 2 years old (15-20 cm). Spawn during February to May in western Mediterranean. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Males build dish shaped nests and guard the eggs.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Labrus merula
Family
Labridae (Wrasses)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
45.0
Common length
40.0
Environment
Marine; reef-associated
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Portugal to Morocco and Azores. Also in the Mediterranean.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.22-0.36; tmax=17)

More wrasses

See all wrasses

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated