Checkerboard wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus) male

   The male Halichoeres hortulanus has a greenish base color with blue or black scale edges, reminiscent of a checkerboard pattern. The head is greenish with pink lines that merge into dots behind the eyes and to the base of the dorsal fin. A bright yellow spot appears at the junction of the flank and dorsal fin. In the Red Sea, half of the back of some specimens may be blue. The caudal fin is truncated with a pinkish pattern, which may be pale or completely blue.