Let Me ID Your Wrasse!

[eatbreakfast]

Thanks for answering all those. I had a feeling the black one you identified as a false cleaner was not a good candidate for an aquarium.

Any experience with the Thicklip wrasse?

Any notable differences in disposition or hardiness between the H. melanarus, argus, marginatus, hoeveni and chrysotaenia? Seems like they all look pretty similar. I'm curious if one or more of this species is more or less desirable (other than subjective appearances).

Thicklip wrasses get big, buut grow slow. They are peaceful, but will eat motile inverts. When they get bigger they may flip small corals and rocks.

Hoevani is a junior synonym of melanurus. It was descrided as a seperate species because males and females look so different.

Of the species list marginatus is the most aggressive, melanurus and chrysotaenia are a little less aggressive than marginatus, and argus is slightly less aggressive than those 2.

 

[Ben jammin]

Better pictures now. 2 of each. Still think H. argus and H. marginatus? Or is the first one chrysotaenia? How do you distinguish those species?

 

[evolved]

Or is the first one chrysotaenia? How do you distinguish those species?

H. argus. The markings on the head & gill plates are notably different. (and the tail pattern too)

 

[evolved]

This is H. papilionaceus.

 

[Ben jammin]

Interesting. The first is from Live Aquaria and came as a Vrolik's, which is the name they use for chrysotaenia, but I think I've seen you mention that some of their wrasses are mislabeled.

 

[evolved]

Interesting. The first is from Live Aquaria and came as a Vrolik's, which is the name they use for chrysotaenia, but I think I've seen you mention that some of their wrasses are mislabeled.

LA shipments (excluding DD) come straight from Quality Marine, who is usually pretty good about getting IDs correct. All wholesalers make mistakes though.

And fwiw, I'd rather have argus over chrysotaenia.

 

[saltyhog]

They must have a new guy at QM doing wrasses. LOL. About a month ago I got a melanurus that was labeled as a chrysotaenia.

 

[evolved]

They must have a new guy at QM doing wrasses.

It's possible. There does seem to be a recent spike of misidentifications...

 

[ca2or]

??

 

[Ben jammin]

This is H. papilionaceus.

Yeah, as I was looking up info on marginatus I was thinking this was not a match. Papilionaceus seems to be right, though there does not seem to be very much info on it other than it's common name is weed wrasse and it comes from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (two of my favorite diving and cultural destinations ever). I like rare finds like this, even if no one who sees my tank will ever know!

I don't know that I've ever seen a Vrolik's in person, but I definitely like the argus a lot. Really pretty color pattern. Got both these guys in an acclimation box for a few days along with a small marble and dragon, hoping that I can get them eating well and that when I release them my quinquevittatum won't be able to focus on any one of them and will just give up and leave them all alone!

 

[eatbreakfast]

??

It's stressed, but appears to be Macropharyngodon moyeri.

Yeah, as I was looking up info on marginatus I was thinking this was not a match. Papilionaceus seems to be right, though there does not seem to be very much info on it other than it's common name is weed wrasse and it comes from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (two of my favorite diving and cultural destinations ever). I like rare finds like this, even if no one who sees my tank will ever know!

I don't know that I've ever seen a Vrolik's in person, but I definitely like the argus a lot. Really pretty color pattern. Got both these guys in an acclimation box for a few days along with a small marble and dragon, hoping that I can get them eating well and that when I release them my quinquevittatum won't be able to focus on any one of them and will just give up and leave them all alone!

I would strongly recommend not putting the juvenile hortulanus, argus and the papilionaceus in the tank with the quinquevittatum. Thalassoma wrasses have a strong dislike toward smaller, more peaceful wrasses.

 

[ca2or]

It's stressed, but appears to be Macropharyngodon moyeri.

I would strongly recommend not putting the juvenile hortulanus, argus and the papilionaceus in the tank with the quinquevittatum. Thalassoma wrasses have a strong dislike toward smaller, more peaceful wrasses.

Thank you

 

[mfinn]

Thank you

@ca2or how is it doing?

 

[evolved]

??

Agree with M. moyeri.

Got both these guys in an acclimation box for a few days along with a small marble and dragon, hoping that I can get them eating well and that when I release them my quinquevittatum won't be able to focus on any one of them and will just give up and leave them all alone!

I would strongly recommend not putting the juvenile hortulanus, argus and the papilionaceus in the tank with the quinquevittatum. Thalassoma wrasses have a strong dislike toward smaller, more peaceful wrasses.

I strongly agree! Thalassoma wrasses are all but incompatible with other wrasses, especially quinquevittatum. At best it will remove the eyes of the other wrasses, and at worst partially eat them...

 

[ca2or]

@ca2or how is it doing?

Not too bad.... Yourself?

 

[mfinn]

Not too bad.... Yourself?

Actually I was wondering about the fish.lol

 

[ca2or]

Actually I was wondering about the fish.lol

Oh.... Ha ha.... He's healing well. A little lonely but he will be ready for a re-home soon

 

[mfinn]

Oh.... Ha ha.... He's healing well. A little lonely but he will be ready for a re-home soon

The re-home you mentioned on FB?

 

[ca2or]

The re-home you mentioned on FB?

We are thinking about actually finding him a new home. Might breakdown the second tank soon. Problem is I can't fit the coral

 

[Kfox93]