Mature males tend to be striking blue and reddish orange in colour. Their heads tend to be a very bright blue colour. The fins on a male cuckoo wrasse also have a blue edge to them.

During mating season the brightness of the head decreases and exhibit white flashes.

Female cuckoo wrasse and immature males, tend to be a pinkish colour.

They feed predominantly on crab, mussel, shrimp and worm. Ragworm being the most effective from a boat angler’s point of view for wrasse in numbers. 

Another firm favourite with cuckoo wrasse is the belly white of mackerel. This little gem was passed to me by an ex English Boat international and has accounted for many cuckoo wrasse aboard My Way.

Fishing with light gear, the wrasse will put up one of the best fights in the sea!

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