Slippery Dick

The slippery dick wrasse is a small fish that can reach a maximum length of 35 cm (14 in).

It has a thin, elongate body with a terminal mouth, and its body coloration has three phases during its life:

The juvenile phase. The body is usually whitish, still with the two longitudinal stripes and the spot up to the pectoral fin, as in the initial phase.

The slippery dick wrasse is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. It can be found from North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea area.

The slippery dick wrasse is generally reef-associated at depths from 1 to 15 m (3.3 to 49.2 ft), but it's not common in seagrass.

Both terminal and initial phase male will reproduce, but while terminal phase males usually spawn in pairs within territories that they defend, initial phase males usually spawn in large groups. Terminal phase males may also occasionally join group spawning events, and initial phase males occasionally interfere with the pair spawning of terminal males.

These fish form leks while breeding. In North Carolina, males defend temporary territories with peak spawning in May and June. Pair spawning typically occurs between females and terminal phase males; initial phase males occasionally try to insert themselves into the spawning event.

This species is widespread and very common throughout much of its range in the Caribbean and Florida, although it is uncommon in northeastern Brazil. There are no major threats known to this species, and population trends are unknown. It is listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.