Melanurus Wrasse

Halichoeres melanurus

Also known as Tailspot Wrasse, Hoeven's Wrasse, Neon Wrasse

SaltwaterFish

Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) — Stickpen · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 5.5 in (14 cm)
Minimum tank: 100 gal (380 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Very common
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Indo-Pacific reefs, from Indonesia to Micronesia and Japan
Family: Labridae

Overview

Peaceful with other fish but best kept one to a tank, since adult males become territorial toward their own species and will harass a second melanurus added later. It is completely reef safe and earns its keep by hunting down pyramidellid snails, flatworms, and bristleworms that prey on corals and clams, making it one of the more useful pest-control wrasses for a reef tank. Feed a varied mix of mysis, brine shrimp, and marine pellet or flake food. It buries itself in the sand bed to sleep and whenever it feels threatened, so a deep, soft sand layer is not optional, and the lid needs to be secure since it jumps well.

In the wild

Found across the Indo-Pacific from Indonesia to Micronesia and southern Japan, on shallow reef flats and lagoons down to about 15 m. Because it can reach 14 cm and is a constant, active swimmer, plan for a tank of at least 380 litres (100 gallons) once it is full grown, even though juveniles can start out in smaller systems. It needs a bed of fine, soft sand at least 5–7.5 cm deep to dive into when startled or asleep, plus a tight-fitting lid, since it jumps readily.

Good to know

Halichoeres melanurus is a protogynous hermaphrodite, maturing first as a female or initial-phase male and later transitioning to a brightly colored terminal-phase male if it becomes the dominant fish in its group. Terminal males show a blue-green body crossed with pink or yellow stripes and the dark tail-base spot that gives the species its name, from the Greek for black-tailed. It reaches about 14 cm as an adult, making it the largest of the commonly kept Halichoeres reef wrasses.

Did you know

A melanurus wrasse that dives into the sand and vanishes the moment it is startled can look like it has disappeared entirely during its first day or two in a new tank; it has simply buried itself while it settles in, and normal foraging resumes once it feels safe enough to resurface.