Males and females are coloured differently. Females have alternating orange-yellow and blue stripes, a large black ocellus in the middle of the dorsal fin, a small black spot at the front of the dorsal fin and a small black ocellus on the upper caudal-fin base. Terminal-phase males have a mauve body, a yellowish-green head crossed by pink to orange wavy bands, 3-6 narrow blue bars on the upper side, a yellow pectoral-fin base, a patch of black scales behind the pectoral fin and a black tail tip. Juveniles are duller. In the trade it is sometimes confused with other colourful wrasses (Christmas, ornate or pink face wrasse).
In the wild it lives singly or in small groups on sheltered coral reefs and rocky shores at 1-25 m, from northern Australia and Indonesia to Japan, Micronesia and Samoa. It hunts small invertebrates: polychaete worms, forams, copepods and isopods. When frightened it takes refuge in the sand.
It is a hermaphrodite species that can change sex. During breeding, males and females form distinct pairs that release pelagic eggs into the water column. Almost all specimens sold are wild-caught.
In aquariums it eats fireworms, pyramidellid snails and flatworms, protecting corals and clams, and may even pick parasites off its tankmates. The flip side: it can also eat feather dusters, tubeworms and small shrimp.
