TankBud

Radiant wrasse

Halichoeres iridis

Also known as Orangehead Wrasse, Iridis Wrasse, Radiant Africa Wrasse

SaltwaterFish

Radiant wrasse (Halichoeres iridis)
Dieter Karner · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
4.5 in
11.5 cm
Minimum tank
50 gal
190 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Labridae
Origin
Western Indian Ocean reefs, East Africa to the Chagos Archipelago

Overview

The radiant wrasse is a peaceful, sand-dwelling wrasse for an established reef tank. It is a fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

Radiant wrasses ship and acclimate so poorly that most retailers list them as an expert-only fish. A new arrival that refuses frozen food in its first days will often still snap at something moving.

Caring for the radiant wrasse

Give a radiant wrasse a fully cycled, established tank of at least 50 gal (190 L). Only add it once the tank holds a healthy population of copepods. Lay a fine sand bed at least 7.5 cm deep, since like other Halichoeres it sleeps and hides by burying itself. It jumps well, so keep a tight-fitting lid sealed.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is more delicate than hardier Halichoeres such as the Melanurus wrasse, with far less tolerance for swings in water quality. To get a new arrival eating, offer live saltwater feeder shrimp or copepods straight from a refugium. Once it is established, feed small meals of mysis, brine shrimp and vitamin-soaked frozen foods several times a day.

The radiant wrasse is peaceful toward tank mates and its own kind, so it can often be kept in small groups where most Halichoeres cannot. It never touches corals or large invertebrates. It will pick off small feather dusters, tubeworms and ornamental shrimp, along with the fireworms and pyramidellid snails it is valued for controlling.

A terminal-phase male has an orange-yellow head grading to red near the gills and a black spot behind the eye. His dark body is crossed with green, magenta and pink stripes.

Good to know

Halichoeres iridis is a protogynous hermaphrodite in the wrasse family Labridae. Fish mature first as females or initial-phase males, and the most dominant one can change into a terminal-phase male.

In the wild

The radiant wrasse is endemic to the western Indian Ocean. Its range runs from the East African coast south to Natal and out to Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Chagos Archipelago. It lives on steep seaward reefs of sand and rubble at 6 to 43 m.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The radiant 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 radiant wrasse need?

A radiant wrasse needs at least 50 gal (190 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a radiant wrasse need?

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

What does a radiant wrasse eat?

A radiant wrasse eats small meals of mysis, brine shrimp and vitamin-soaked frozen foods, several times a day once it is established. Start a new arrival on live saltwater feeder shrimp or copepods.

How big does a radiant wrasse get?

An adult radiant wrasse reaches about 4.5 in (11.5 cm).

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

Males that reach the terminal phase have an orange-yellow head grading to red near the gills and a black spot behind the eye. Their dark bodies are crossed with green, magenta and pink stripes.

Related species