Red lined wrasse?

[Wes10C]

Anyone have experience with a red lined wrasse, (Halichoeres biocellatus)? Are they rare in the hobby? I like the melanarus, but im looking for something that stays a lil bit smaller.

 

[jp_75]

Great fish! I believe they reach 4 inches only. Very peaceful too. I have one for 2 years.

 

[mattzang]

great fish

quite invert friendly, quite peaceful, but not a pushover either

 

[Wes10C]

Great fish! I believe they reach 4 inches only. Very peaceful too. I have one for 2 years.

Are they hard to find? Ive never seen one irl

 

[mattzang]

i've seen a couple, including my own, but all at the same lfs. online wise seems they're fairly popular, but probably not anywhere near h. chrysus or h. melanarus

 

[Rybren]

I had my first one for about 10 years. It was an extremely mellow fish and was quite beautiful. Unfortunately it jumped one day and although I grabbed it and put it back in the tank right away, it was never the same and died a few months later. It was over 5" long.

I recently acquired a juvenile red-line; can't wait for it to transition.

For both fish, I asked the LFS to keep an eye out for one on their fish lists. In both cases, I had the fish within 3 weeks.

 

[jp_75]

never seen locally but liveaquaria was the place where i got mine.

 

[saltyhog]

I also got mine from LA. Couldn't ask for a better community fish. The color transition from juvie to male was fun to watch.

 

[adam finley]

I also got mine from LA and it’s a model citizen in my tank. It might take out a snail here and there but it’s definitely one of my favorite fish. Beautiful and peaceful but not a pushover either.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

One of my favorites! Pretty common and reasonablly priced. Just make sure you get the right species as they, and several different fish, are frequently sold as "Christmas wrasse".

 

[adam finley]

One of my favorites! Pretty common and reasonablly priced. Just make sure you get the right species as they, and several different fish, are frequently sold as "Christmas wrasse".

Yeah they definitely resemble the Christmas wrasse and see how they could be sold as such. I actually almost bought the Christmas wrasse first but was told the red lined was a little more peaceful and had a better chance at being reef safe and it is.

 

[saltyhog]

This is why common names are sometimes more than worthless. It's not just "sold as" there are multiple wrasses that are commonly referred to as Christmas wrasses....including H. biocellatus, H. claudia, H. ornatissiumus and a few more.

I have not seen them offered as terminal males. They would be hard to mistake for any of the other species as terminal males.

Mine after I had him about two years.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Dont forget Thalassoma trilobatum, yet another "christmas" wrasse.

 

[Wes10C]

This is why common names are sometimes more than worthless. It's not just "sold as" there are multiple wrasses that are commonly referred to as Christmas wrasses....including H. biocellatus, H. claudia, H. ornatissiumus and a few more.

I have not seen them offered as terminal males. They would be hard to mistake for any of the other species as terminal males.

Mine after I had him about two years.

Ahh he looks awesome

 

[Mayerlyn A]

I love mine. Beautiful and peaceful. Going on two years with no issues at all.

 

[Mayerlyn A]

Got mine from LA too.

 

[Wes10C]

Thanks everyone for the all the responses!