Quick wrasse ID

[ItouchedThebutt]

I bought it thinking it was a melanauraus wrasse, thought it was a female but someone was saying it's a hovens wrasse.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Just trying to find out what it is exactly.

 

[James M]

Same fish. Just different names
Melanurus Wrasse,Tail Spot Wrasse and Hoeven's Wrasse

 

[nereefpat]

^^^yes.

I'd say it's transitioning to male, if not already there.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

See I saw a Male today and she looks nothing like the 3 I saw, but shes not pale like pics of females I've seen.

 

[Geebs19]

Looks almost identical to my melenarus that I assume has already transitioned to male.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Looks almost identical to my melenarus that I assume has already transitioned to male.

Yours has a way deeper color tho

 

[evolved]

Just trying to find out what it is exactly.

H. melanurus, transitional male.
Many different common names, and here they often mean the same thing.

Looks almost identical to my melenarus that I assume has already transitioned to male.

Yes, that's a terminal male.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

So what does that mean

 

[evolved]

That common names are misleading

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

What is a terminal Male? He sick or something?

 

[evolved]

Might I suggest: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/all-about-reef-safe-wrasses-in-aquaria.259894/

 

[Geebs19]

What is a terminal Male? He sick or something?

Sorry I don’t mean to laugh but this made me spit out my drink haha.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Sorry I don’t mean to laugh but this made me spit out my drink haha.

Glad I could be of some service then lol

 

[Jesterrace]

Yup it's a juvie Melanurus transitioning. The thing to keep an eye on at this point is it's dorsal fin spot. As it progresses it will disappear. Mine literally went through this phase in the last few months and it looks identical to that although it lost it's dorsal fin spot completely about 2 weeks ago. Here is mine a couple of months back:


This close to what it looks like now (although the dorsal fin spot is completely gone):

 

[Jesterrace]

Incidentally here it is today, with it's dorsal fin spot gone:

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Yup it's a juvie Melanurus transitioning. The thing to keep an eye on at this point is it's dorsal fin spot. As it progresses it will disappear. Mine literally went through this phase in the last few months and it looks identical to that although it lost it's dorsal fin spot completely about 2 weeks ago. Here is mine a couple of months back:


This close to what it looks like now (although the dorsal fin spot is completely gone):

That's not a full grown fox face next to it, is it? If so I did not think this fish got that big...

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Also do these fish burrow in the sand? I know some wrasse do. I noticed about 30 min after my T5s go out and it's all blues dimming from then out on my AI he just vanishes. As well I noticed a mound of sand in a area that usually has none..

 

[mattzang]

Also do these fish burrow in the sand? I know some wrasse do. I noticed about 30 min after my T5s go out and it's all blues dimming from then out on my AI he just vanishes. As well I noticed a mound of sand in a area that usually has none..

yes, all halichoeres sleep in the sand

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I gotta see him go to bed now! That sounds freaking cool.