Maori Wrasse begin life as females, and turn into males once they reach a certain age and size. While it is not fully understood why this happens, it is thought to be a way of keeping a balance of males to females. Often when there are not enough males in an area, one of the females will become male.
The Humphead Wrasse is one of the larger fish found on reefs, growing up to an impressive 2.3 m and weighing in at 190 kg. They are extremely inquisitive, and have been observed following and interacting with divers. Maori Wrasse can live for 30 or more years, are solitary and are rare to see in the wild. Unfortunately this makes them a prime target as a luxury food and illegal trapping. Because of this and general over-fishing, Maori Wrasse are classified as endangered.