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Homescience

Humphead Wrasse: Meet this ocean’s royal resident

Meet the Humphead Wrasse, a magnificent reef giant known for its fascinating skills and royal beauty. This remarkable species plays a vital role in preserving marine balance and showcases the breathtaking majesty of underwater life.

Gurpreet Singh | October 07, 2025 / 15:20 IST
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1. Ocean's Royal Resident: Meet the humphead wrasse, a majestic reef giant known for its size, vibrant colours and undeniable presence beneath the waves. (Image: Canva)
1. Ocean's Royal Resident: Meet the humphead wrasse, a majestic reef giant known for its size, vibrant colours and undeniable presence beneath the waves. (Image: Canva)
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2. Reef Monarch: This fish reigns supreme over coral reefs, gliding gracefully among corals while commanding attention from divers and marine enthusiasts worldwide. (Image: Canva)
2. Reef Monarch: This fish reigns supreme over coral reefs, gliding gracefully among corals while commanding attention from divers and marine enthusiasts worldwide. (Image: Canva)
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3. Vibrant Colours: Shades of blue, green, and turquoise create a living rainbow, helping the humphead wrasse stand out in reef environments. (Image: Canva)
3. Vibrant Colours: Shades of blue, green, and turquoise create a living rainbow, helping the humphead wrasse stand out in reef environments. (Image: Canva)
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4. Long Lifespan: Living up to 30 years, these gentle giants witness decades of reef changes and the evolving underwater ecosystem. (Image: Canva)
4. Long Lifespan: Living up to 30 years, these gentle giants witness decades of reef changes and the evolving underwater ecosystem. (Image: Canva)
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5. Slow and Graceful: Despite their enormous size, they move elegantly, weaving between corals while displaying their impressive, fluid swimming style. (Image: Canva)
5. Slow and Graceful: Despite their enormous size, they move elegantly, weaving between corals while displaying their impressive, fluid swimming style. (Image: Canva)
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6. Diverse Diet: From mollusks and crustaceans to poisonous starfish, the humphead wrasse’s varied diet supports both its growth and reef ecology. (Image: Canva)
6. Diverse Diet: Humphead wrasses can eat toxic animals like crown-of-thorns starfish, which are poisonous to most reef fish. This skill helps protect coral reefs, keeping these destructive starfish in check. (Image: Canva)
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7. Endangered Status: Overfishing and habitat destruction threaten these majestic fish, making conservation efforts essential to preserve their coral reef kingdom. (Image: Canva)
7. Endangered Status: Overfishing and habitat destruction threaten these majestic fish, making conservation efforts essential to preserve their coral reef kingdom. (Image: Canva)
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8. Strength: Their thick lips and strong jaws allow them to crush hard-shelled prey like mollusks, crustaceans and sea urchins. (Image: Canva)
8. Strength: Their thick lips and strong jaws allow them to crush hard-shelled prey like mollusks, crustaceans and sea urchins. (Image: Canva)
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9. Juvenile Mimicry: Young wrasses often mimic other fish species behaviours to avoid predators. This clever trick increases their survival chances in dangerous reef environments. (Image: Canva)
9. Juvenile Mimicry: Young wrasses often mimic other fish species behaviours to avoid predators. This clever trick increases their survival chances in dangerous reef environments. (Image: Canva)
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10. Social Intelligence: Humphead wrasses interact with other fish and divers, showing curiosity and cautious social behaviour. They sometimes cooperate with cleaner fish to remove parasites from their bodies. (Image: Canva)
10. Social Intelligence: Humphead wrasses interact with other fish and divers, showing curiosity and cautious social behaviour. They sometimes cooperate with cleaner fish to remove parasites from their bodies. (Image: Canva)

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