TankBud

Leopard wrasse

Macropharyngodon meleagris

Also known as Guinea Fowl Wrasse, Blackspotted Wrasse, Meleagris Leopard Wrasse

SaltwaterFish

Leopard wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris)
Mark Rosenstein · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
90 gal
340 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Labridae
Origin
Indo-Pacific reefs, from the Cocos-Keeling Islands to the western Pacific and the islands of Oceania

Overview

The leopard wrasse is a shy, peaceful wrasse for a mature reef tank with a deep sand bed. Because it eats mostly live pods, it is a fish for experienced keepers only.

Did you know

A leopard wrasse is really a measure of how established the tank already is. The same fish that wastes away in a new setup can live for years in an older one. There, a mature sand bed and live rock keep it fed.

Caring for the leopard wrasse

Only add a leopard wrasse to a mature, well-established tank of at least 90 gal (340 L). The tank should be old enough to carry a healthy natural population of copepods and other tiny invertebrates. Lay a fine sand bed at least 5 cm deep, since it burrows into the sand every night to sleep and whenever it feels threatened. Keep the lid tight and gap-free, because it can and will jump.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. This wrasse feeds almost entirely on live copepods and other tiny invertebrates picked out of sand and rock. A newly imported fish dropped into an immature tank will often starve within weeks, even with regular feedings.

The leopard wrasse is peaceful and shy, and bolder tank mates easily push it away from food. It does best in a calm community, in a group of three or more introduced together where the tank allows. It is fully reef safe and never touches corals or clams.

The sexes look very different. Females are white with irregular black or brown spots, while males turn orange-red mottled with green.

Good to know

Macropharyngodon meleagris is a protogynous hermaphrodite, and the dominant female in a group will change into a male if needed. The female's spots echo the guinea fowl feather pattern behind its other common name, the guinea fowl wrasse.

In the wild

The leopard wrasse ranges across the Indo-Pacific, from the Cocos-Keeling Islands through the western Pacific to the islands of Oceania. It lives on sand and rubble flats next to reefs at roughly 0 to 30 m, occasionally deeper.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The leopard wrasse is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a leopard wrasse need?

A leopard wrasse needs at least 90 gal (340 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a leopard wrasse need?

A leopard wrasse is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a leopard wrasse eat?

A leopard wrasse feeds almost entirely on live copepods and other tiny invertebrates, which it picks out of sand and rock. It needs a tank old enough to carry a healthy natural population of them.

How big does a leopard wrasse get?

An adult leopard wrasse reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

How can you tell a male leopard wrasse from a female?

Females are white with irregular black or brown spots. Males turn orange-red, mottled with green.

Related species