Spotlight - Earmuff Wrasse (Halichoeres Melasmapomus)

[eatbreakfast]

I don't understand how xanti ever got tied to melasmapomus.
Fishbase:
Halichoeres xanti (Károli, 1882): Ambiguous synonym for Halichoeres bicolor ((Károli, 1882))

Unless it's simply anyone guess what fish was in a 1882 sketch, I'm not understanding it.

Kuiter lists Platyglossua xanti as a synonym for melasmapomas.

 

[evolved]

Kuiter lists Platyglossua xanti as a synonym for melasmapomas.

Leave it to him to muddy the waters...

(Kuiter is a classic "splitter", for those unfamiliar with this topic)

 

[4FordFamily]

Leave it to him to muddy the waters...

(Kuiter is a classic "splitter", for those unfamiliar with this topic)

Well I immediately thought of the M. Kuiteri which a male also closely resembles H. Melasmapomus. Ironically both are poor shippers, as an additional similarity to even further confuse LOL!

 

[ech0o]

Whatever the species, it is a beautiful fish!

 

[RMS18]

I've seen BRS recommend them lately, pretty good experience I take it? What was the cost like?

Yes so far. They aren't out for more than 1-2 hours a day. They both are eating mysis and brine. I haven't tried worms yet.

$375 shipped for both.

 

[RMS18]

Be very observant. That is how it is "supposed" to work, but typically does not in captivity. You may eventually end up with two males, and then possibly one victim. https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/pairing-wrasses-thats-not-how-any-of-this-works.3/

It is.

My Wrasse experiences have been the opposite of the general rule. I have had to re-home a few who were supposed to be "peaceful" and under some other bizarre circumstances. I'm taking a shot I know and I'll keep an eye out down the road.

 

[cjpitt80]

My Wrasse experiences have been the opposite of the general rule. I have had to re-home a few who were supposed to be "peaceful" and under some other bizarre circumstances. I'm taking a shot I know and I'll keep an eye out down the road.

Hi. How are these guys doing?

 

[RMS18]

Hi. How are these guys doing?

I have both still, they are both doing very well very fat. One went male and almost tripled in size. The male is really cool looking the head of it is just super vibrant with blue and orange.

 

[cjpitt80]

I have both still, they are both doing very well very fat. One went male and almost tripled in size. The male is really cool looking the head of it is just super vibrant with blue and orange.

Nice. Glad to hear it. I just saw their max size. Too big for my 75, but they look amazing!

 

[RMS18]

Nice. Glad to hear it. I just saw their max size. Too big for my 75, but they look amazing!

Make would be to big. The female is staying at 3.5 inches.

 

[saltyhog]

I've had my Ear Muff a little over 4 years. Very peaceful and never bothers any other fish. He's gone from a 3" lightly colored juvie to an over 6" fat beautiful male. Unfortunately of late he's developing his skills in killing snails. Hasn't bothered any of my shrimp and really has only taken a few of my trochus which reproduce well in the tank anyway. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I've enjoyed mine.

This was video shot in QT when I first got it.

 

[lolmatt]

I was able to pickup a h. melasmopomus about a year ago from my LFS, paid only $50. I have him in a 180 with 7 other halichoeres wrasses plus 2 leopards including m. moyeri which looks somewhat similar. Definitely one of the more peaceful halichoeres in the tank.

FYI for anyone interested in this fish, I see them for sale fairly often from @NYAquatic, he's currently selling them for $150 and I know they've been available on his site for quite a few months.

 

[OrionN]

@saltyhog , @Bmwm235i
Current pictures of this fish would be nice. Please?

 

[saltyhog]

@saltyhog , @Bmwm235i
Current pictures of this fish would be nice. Please?

I'll try to do that tonight.

 

[saltyhog]

Here you go @OrionN . The yellow tang you can see is about 4.5".

 

[OrionN]

Here you go @OrionN . The yellow tang you can see is about 4.5".

Beautiful. I would love to get one. I have a Melanurus. Do you think there will be trouble with the two together?

 

[saltyhog]

Beautiful. I would love to get one. I have a Melanurus. Do you think there will be trouble with the two together?

He tolerates a smaller terminal H. biocellatus without even a glance. He messes with nobody but NOBODY (including the tangs) messes with him. Don't know if I just got a super mellow one or not but from what I've read they are usually very mild mannered. YMMV.

There are 10 other wrasses in the tank and he ignores them all (fairies, flashers, leopard)

 

[lolmatt]

Beautiful. I would love to get one. I have a Melanurus. Do you think there will be trouble with the two together?

This totally depends on the tank and how it's introduced. I had a small 2-3" female melanurus that was rather peaceful try to destroy a juvenile h. biocellatus in a 40 breeder. Obviously too little space, but I was inexperienced. As @saltyhog mentioned with his 10 wrasse tank, I think dispersed aggression helps a lot, I have 9 wrasses in my tank as mentioned earlier (now a 180 rather than the 40), including h. melasmopomus, and things are "peaceful" (though very competitive) most of the time. If you're going to try, I would only do it with the help of an acclimation box. Eshopps makes one that's magnetic that I can highly recommend. Keep it high up in the tank to avoid the wrasse trying to burrow into the plastic.

 

[ArtsyFish]

Thanks, can't wait for them to mature and grow into full colors.
Why not keep one now? They are peaceful, do require a sand bed however.

How deep is your sand bed. How are the fish doing now.

 

[lolmatt]

Love seeing this thread still getting hits years later. Not the guy you asked, but mine is still doing great. He ended up getting bullied pretty hard by a green wrasse in my 180, and I got lucky and caught the earmuff first (he was getting pretty thin). Gave him to my dad, so he's in a 75g now. Great fish and still not very aggressive. On par with a h. chrysus I'd say, both in terms of size and temperament. My tank that he grew up in and my dad's tank both have larger grain sand about 2" thick. He's got a small cryptic wrasse (pink streak wrasse) and the earmuff doesn't even look at it.

Overall great fish. Hope to get it back from my dad some day when I put up a new tank and rework my fish inhabitants.