Fish Identification Photos: Cortez Rainbow Wrasse, Thalassoma lucasanum: The Cortez Rainbow Wrasse comes in two forms, the initial or rainbow phase pictured here, and the terminal male phase (future picture pending more fishing). The Cortez Rainbow Wrasse is characterized by brilliant yellow, red, and black stripes in the initial phase of the young and adult females, and a bright yellow band on the purplish blue terminal phase males.

The Cortez Rainbow Wrasse is easy to identify and not easily confused with other species. It forms large schools that feed on algae, small crustaceans, plankton, and soft coral.

The Cortez Rainbow Wrasse has been reported to reach a maximum length of only 6 inches and thus is is quite small in stature. It is normally found over rocky shores in the surge zone within the first 50 feet of the water column.

The Cortez Rainbow Wrasse is a member of the Labridae or Wrasse Family. In Mexico, the Cortez Rainbow Wrasse is only found south of Magdalena Bay on the Pacific side and south of Santa Rosalia on the Cortez side of the Baja California peninsula, south of Guaymas along the mainland Mexican, and around the majority of oceanic islands. This fish virtually disappears with water temperatures below 84 degrees.

The Cortez Rainbow Wrasse is simply too small to be of interest to anyone other than true sport fishermen armed with minute tackle and thus are a “catch and release” species.

Cortez Rainbow Wrasse. Female and Supermale: Female caught from shore during the early morning, in October 2003, in 85-degree water, in rocky structure, utilizing a fish finder rig, 15-pound test, 0.5-ounce barrel sinker, swivel, and size #8, Mustad 92553 hook, with one-half a peeled medium sized shrimp, at Km 20, Cabo Real, between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Size approximately 3 inches. Supermale caught from shore during the mid-afternoon, in November 2004, in 77-degree water, in rocky structure, utilizing a fish finder rig, 15-pound test, 0.5-ounce barrel sinker, swivel, and size #6, Mustad 92553 hook, with one-half a peeled medium sized shrimp, at Km 14, Twin Dolphins, between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico. Size approximately 4 inches. This species is fairly abundant but a rather rare catch due to the difficulty in setting the hook. Description and photo courtesy John Snow.