I’m not particularly sentimental about my fish. I do have my favorites though. One was my dusky wrasse, purchased on a whim back in early 2013. While I don’t recommend whimsical fish purchases - research then buy, not the other way around - sometimes you get lucky. Dusky wrasse has been an excellent fish, absolutely (and literally) murder on pests of all kinds. Cleared out a pyramid snail infestation, controlled an outbreak of red planaria worms, even ate the occasional bristle worm. OK, he also ate my CUC ..... but, hey, nobody’s perfect! He’d been looking a little worse for wear over the last few months and gradually losing weight even as he continued to eat with the same gusto. I’m not sure how long wrasses like these can be expected to live. I had him for almost 7 years and I don’t know how old he was when I got him. Anyhow, the last few days he’s not reappeared in the morning. Not a fish one sees very often, and usually miscategorized as not reef safe, but when I see one again I shall buy it. Gets big, 6-7 inches, but highly recommended for policing larger tanks. Some of my leopard wrasse are of comparable vintage, including a jeweled that I’d also be bummed to lose. None of them show age related deterioration yet though. It is interesting that my bipartitus had been female for over five years then, as the dusky started to deteriorate, turned male literally overnight. Coincidence perhaps .... or perhaps not.
I had a dusky wrasse and only kept him for 2 years or so.. but I wish I had kept him. He had a unique color compared to every wrasse from that genus I usually see for sale. Took me awhile to identify him actually. He decimated my cuc. He was in 90 gallon and it was just too small, I thought. He was so fun to watch though!
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