Habitat: Marine, reef-associated. Drift in gorgonians and openings to recesses in reefs,also found on rocky bottoms. Small and middle-sized individuals commonly occur in mangrove-lined lagoons. More common in island waters than along the coast. Depth range 2 - 150 m. Natural History Notes: Indications of sex reversal ; the smaller individuals all are female and there are no small males. Juveniles appear to be aggressive mimics that of the juveniles of the clown wrasse Halichoeres maculipinna. Characteristics: Adults : Corner of preopoercle more angular than in other groupers and with a distinct concave notch above. Yellow around corners of mouth. May be almost uniformly brownish with faint marblings or may show a network of pale lines that cut up the background in to numerous small roundish spots. Yellow distal band on pectoral fins. Inside of the mouth yellow. Juveniles : dark above and white below, the sharp line of demarcation at the lower margin of the eye. Yellow spinous fin. Notes: This species is rare and almost never observed in the Bay of Almirante and in the Lagoon of Chiriqui.