El Niño Compendium
Rock Wrasse
Also callediodine fish
Range status
North of rangeRarity this season
UncommonSeen past the published northern limit of its range.
Primary biome
Secondary biomes
Sightings
2026 season, every one sourced
Central California
- From Oct 17, 2026Breakwater, MontereyJuvenilesSource: Jarvis, Oct 19
- From Oct 6, 2026Monterey and San Luis Obispo County14 records
Photos
From California this season
No photos yet. If you photographed this animal in California this season, post it to the Coastal Bulletin.
Home Range
Where it normally lives
Point Conception south to Guadalupe Island and the Gulf of California, with only a few fringe records at the Monterey breakwater.
Range source: Ichthyopedia dossier: rock wrasse
Habitat
Rocky reef next to sand patches, kelp beds, and tide pools, mostly from the surface to 80 feet, with a few records down to 259 feet
Taxonomy
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Labriformes
Family
Labridae
Genus / Species
Halichoeres semicinctus
Family, common name
Wrasses
Rarity
Rarity this season
Uncommon
Reports this season
15
Conservation status
Least Concern (assessed 2007)
Rarity in the compendium is how often the animal has been reported on the California coast this season, not how rare it is where it normally lives. It moves as new sightings come in.
Full Species Profile
The rock wrasse has a full Ichthyopedia entry with its natural history, seasonality and where to find it in a normal year.
Read the Rock Wrasse entry →