Corkwing male

The easiest wrasse to identify, if you know what to look for, behind the eye and in front of the gill cover you will see tiny serrations or grooves like the edge of a pound coin, no other common wrasse has this feature. The Baillon's Wrasse also has this feature but is not commonly caught.

There is confusion however because the male and female have different markings.

The male is the more showy, having iridescent green and gold wavy lines on his head, they show especially well in sunlight.

The Corkwing Wrasse can grow up to 25cm long but a fish of half that length would be more typical.

Like all wrasse a piece of ragworm on a small hook will entice them, they can be caught in open water but are more likely to be caught near the shelter of rocks and weed. The dorsal fin contains spines which are not apparent until you grasp the fish. You will learn to hold it from the underside.