A type of wrasse fish (Ballan wrasse) found in European Atlantic waters; any of various seaweed-eating fish species.
From Cornish or Irish origin; 'ballan' possibly derives from Celtic languages where similar-sounding words refer to fish species. The term appears in Scottish and Irish fishing vocabulary dating back centuries.
The ballan wrasse is a color-changing fish that literally transforms its appearance—the same species can look completely different depending on age and mood, making it one of the ocean's best underwater impersonators.
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