Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Thalassoma purpureum (Forsskål, 1775)

Vieja variante, Vieja oleaja, vieja variante, vieja oleaja, Surge wrasse

Elongate, compressed body; Head and body green; a red V on snout before eye, two oblique red bars from eye down across operculum; 2 red stripes along flank; sides with thin irregularred vertical lines. Size: 20-25 cm.

Habitat: Solitary in shallow rocky surge zones

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Chordata

Class
Teleostei

Order
Eupercaria incertae sedis

Suborder
Labroidei

Family
Labridae

Genus
Thalassoma

Species
purpureum

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Julis semicoeruleus Rüppell, 1835, Julis umbrostygma Rüppell, 1835, Scarus purpureus Forsskål, 1775, Thalassoma semicaeruleus (Rüppell, 1835), Thalassoma semicoeruleus (Rüppell, 1835), Thalassoma umbrostigma (Rüppell, 1835), Thalassoma umbrostygma (Rüppell, 1835), fide Appeltans et al. (2010)

Origin: Native

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Distribution

Distribution: Indo-Pacific, also Ecuador in Galapagos Islands, Cocos, Clipperton, and the Gulf of Chiriqui in Panama.

References

  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
  • Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
  • IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
  • McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
  • Robertson, D.R. (2002) NT/complete

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This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Thalassoma purpureum", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7711. Accessed 31 October 2026.