Ballan wrasse

Ballan wrasse
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Labriformes
Family:	Labridae
Genus:	Labrus
Species:	L. bergylta
Binomial name
Labrus bergylta Ascanius, 1767
Synonyms[2]
Labrus comber Bonnaterre, 1788 Labrus ballan Bonnaterre, 1788 Labrus maculatus Bloch, 1792 Labrus neustriae Lacépède, 1801 Labrus balanus J. Fleming, 1828 Labrus variabilis W. Thompson, 1837 Crenilabrus multidentatus W. Thompson, 1837 Labrus reticulatus R. T. Lowe, 1839 Labrus donovani Valenciennes, 1839 Labrus nubilus Valenciennes, 1843

The ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) is a species of marine ray finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, where it inhabits rocky areas. Like many wrasse species, it is a protogynous hermaphrodite—all fish start life as females, and some dominant fish later become males. It is used as a food fish in some areas and it is also finding use as a cleaner fish in the aquaculture of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in northwestern Europe.