Fish · La Saladita, Guerrero

Cortez Rainbow Wrasse

Thalassoma lucasanum

Spanish: Arcoiris de Cortés

Cortez Rainbow Wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum)
Photographed by edgar-f-maldonado on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

The Cortez rainbow wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum) is a species of wrasse native to the eastern Pacific Ocean from Baja California to Peru, as well as around the Galapagos Islands. It is a reef inhabitant, occurring in small schools at depths of from the surface to 64 m (210 ft), though rarely deeper than 25 m (82 ft) or shallower than 2 m (6.6 ft). This species can reach 15 cm (5.9 in) in total length. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.

TaxonomyActinopterygii › Labriformes › Labridae
Local records49 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records3,356 on iNaturalist
Most recent records2026 – 2026
Months of the 8 most recent records
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Fish guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Cortez Rainbow Wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/thalassoma-lucasanum/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.