Bluestar Leopard Wrasse Macropharyngodon bipartitus

The Bluestar Leopard Wrasse is also called the Vermiculite Wrasse and has several other common names. Male, above left, and female, above right, look like two completely different species, compounding the names.

Both male and female resemble some other Macropharyngodon species, some of which also have "leopard" in their name (eg the Eastern Leopard, also called Black-spotted and Reticulated).

Small wrasse, they grow to some 13cm (5 inches) long. Their diet is small crustaceans and other invertebrates from reef crevices.

They are native to the East African and Arabian coasts and reefs of the western Indian Ocean.

They are shy fish and bury themselves in the sand when threatened or sleeping.

Above left and centre are juveniles. Females can transition to males if a male is needed.