Wrasses: the Smartest Fish?

"While I was researching goatfish for the last column, I realized there is another group I have not paid enough attention to in my reef travels. Wrasses. This is a large and diverse family. Wrasses seem to be everywhere. They are quick and colorful. Perhaps some of the most vibrant colors on our reefs belong to the family of wrasses.

Worldwide there are over five hundred species of wrasse. Here we have about twenty. Most species are carnivorous, feeding on small crustaceans.

Creole wrasse, ho...