Dimorphic fish you can keep in pairs/harams?

[Flatearth]

I love a sexually dimorphic pair, something about it just looks so nice to me especially when both fish are beautiful in their own way.

I am planning a future tank, and I want to know what my options are if I want this dynamic. I know clownfish are the popular pair fish although for them it is just one is bigger which is not as interesting to me. The swallowtail angelfish is the perfect example of what I am talking about , but I want to explore more options.

I guess the only requirements are it needs to reasonably(so no 3 foot fish) be able to be kept as a pair in a home aquarium. Things like the Bird Wrasse that are dimorphic, but don't really work as pairs are not ideal either of course.

 

[fishski13]

There is a couple angels pairs like the bellus, watanabei, and swallowtail, etc. All are good to have in pairs and in reef tanks.

You could also go with some wrasses like the leapards which come in different patterns and colors depending on sex, and these can be kept in harems

Another good choice with lots of colors and movements is most anthias. A nice group of anthias with one male to a couple females would look nice in a tank and you would be able to see the different colors on males vs females.

Mandarins also come in different markings depending on female or male but these arent as distinctive as the patterns on the previous fish mentioned

 

[Joj]

Blue jaw triggers are my go to

 

[Fish Styx]

+1 wrasses and anthias

 

[i cant think]

I agree with Macropharyngodon pairs. Although these pairs don’t always work due to how boisterous some species like Marisrubri and moyeri are. The other genus you can do this with is Anampses which are much less aggressive and more likely to cohabitate with eachother.

The issue is, we don’t know how big your future tank will be, all these wrasses and angels are being mentioned but these all need 3-6’ tanks depending on the species.

 

[Flatearth]

There is a couple angels pairs like the bellus, watanabei, and swallowtail, etc. All are good to have in pairs and in reef tanks.

You could also go with some wrasses like the leapards which come in different patterns and colors depending on sex, and these can be kept in harems

Another good choice with lots of colors and movements is most anthias. A nice group of anthias with one male to a couple females would look nice in a tank and you would be able to see the different colors on males vs females.

Mandarins also come in different markings depending on female or male but these arent as distinctive as the patterns on the previous fish mentioned

I was under the impression that Macropharyngodon wrasse did not do well in captivity? I also read that most wrasse don't work out as a haram/pair long term and eventually they all turn male?

The anthias are great I forgot about them! Are there other dimorphic angels or it is just the ones from this complex?

I agree with Macropharyngodon pairs. Although these pairs don’t always work due to how boisterous some species like Marisrubri and moyeri are. The other genus you can do this with is Anampses which are much less aggressive and more likely to cohabitate with eachother.

The issue is, we don’t know how big your future tank will be, all these wrasses and angels are being mentioned but these all need 3-6’ tanks depending on the species.

I didn't want to put a size because this is more a "I like this dynamic and want to know about potential species I can one day keep" and less a "help me stock my180g" thread.

 

[i cant think]

I was under the impression that Macropharyngodon wrasse did not do well in captivity? I also read that most wrasse don't work out as a haram/pair long term and eventually they all turn male?

The anthias are great I forgot about them! Are there other dimorphic angels or it is just the ones from this complex?

Actually, most angels are dimorphic in some way however they aren’t all that obvious. For example;
Male regals are more elongated than the females and Male flames have much more pointed fins than female flames, it’s also said male flames have more bars than females.
There are many ways these guys are sexually dimorphic.

Also, many gobies are sexually dimorphic in certain ways. Stonogobiops yasha males seem to get a black spot on their pelvic fins.