Ballan Wrasse

The ballan wrasse is a robust, colourful wrasse found in rocky and kelp-rich habitats across the north-east Atlantic. Adults display highly variable colouration—ranging from orange and red to green, blue, or brown—often with pale spots or blotches. Reaching around 50 cm, these wrasses are solitary or occur in loose groups, feeding on hard-shelled invertebrates, small crustaceans, and molluscs that they pick from rocks and seaweed. They are territorial and can be seen nosing through crevices and kelp holdfasts in shallow to moderate depths.