The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[C4ctus99]

So even though it’s called the Spanish hogfish, is bodianus rufus in the wrasse family?

also, how do y’all remember all these scientific names? I had to copy and paste from Google just to get that one here

Edit: sorry if I’m asking dumb questions, new to the wrasse portion of this and a baby in the reef

 

[Slocke]

So even though it’s called the Spanish hogfish, is bodianus rufus in the wrasse family?

also, how do y’all remember all these scientific names? I had to copy and paste from Google just to get that one here

Edit: sorry if I’m asking dumb questions, new to the wrasse portion of this and a baby in the reef

Yes, it is part of the wrasse family though sometimes its called the wrasse, parrotfish, and hogfish family.

 

[i cant think]

So even though it’s called the Spanish hogfish, is bodianus rufus in the wrasse family?

also, how do y’all remember all these scientific names? I had to copy and paste from Google just to get that one here

Edit: sorry if I’m asking dumb questions, new to the wrasse portion of this and a baby in the reef

Labriidae is a large family consisting of 2 subfamilies;
Scariidae and Bodianidae.
Bodianidae is the subfamily consisting of the ‘Hogfish’, Scariidae is the subfamily consisting of the ‘Parrotfish’ and the other genera are the ‘Wrasses’ (sometimes called ‘Dwarf Parrots’).

As for how we know all these scientifics, a lot of it is research, consistently writing them out and also just training your mind into it. I know I used to write lists and lists of names I had researched of scientifics and now it’s just a thing I know and can write without having to research for the most part (Every so often I do forget one - I tend to mix up Cyanogularis and Flavidorsalis to get Cyanodorsalis) and often the lists I’ll write will be 25-30 names long, and that’s just wrasses!

 

[C4ctus99]

Interesting… I’m just used to hogfish and parrotfish from the fl keys… they are a little bit bigger.

Do y’all have any experience with the Spanish hogfish? My lfs has had one for a couple months now and if he is still there in a few weeks I was considering getting him and putting him in a 75g

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Interesting… I’m just used to hogfish and parrotfish from the fl keys… they are a little bit bigger.

Do y’all have any experience with the Spanish hogfish? My lfs has had one for a couple months now and if he is still there in a few weeks I was considering getting him and putting him in a 75g

Awesome fish, can get pretty mean to newcomers when they get larger. Definitely not motile invert safe, but should be coral and anemone safe, at least mine is so far. They also get big, like 2' long as adults. So far mine is actually a bit of a pushover, and gets chased periodically by the neon dottyback and the harlequin basslet.

Well suited to a FOWLR or predator reef with other large fish that can handle themselves. Here's my little guy front and center in the growout/holding tank while I put together the big system.

 

[Petcrazyson]

What are y’all thoughts on H. garnoti? @SaltyT ?

 

[Fishfreak2009]

What are y’all thoughts on H. garnoti? @SaltyT ?

I've watched adults shred crabs in the wild, but should be mostly invert safe. They never bothered any of the small fish around them.

 

[C4ctus99]

Awesome fish, can get pretty mean to newcomers when they get larger. Definitely not motile invert safe, but should be coral and anemone safe, at least mine is so far. They also get big, like 2' long as adults. So far mine is actually a bit of a pushover, and gets chased periodically by the neon dottyback and the harlequin basslet.

Well suited to a FOWLR or predator reef with other large fish that can handle themselves. Here's my little guy front and center in the growout/holding tank while I put together the big system.

All I got right now is a hermit crab and emerald crab, cuc will be as needed in the new 75 hopefully. I also have a trochus and a starfish now that I’m thinking about it…

 

[C4ctus99]

and he’s super pretty, I love the coloring for some reason

 

[Fishfreak2009]

All I got right now is a hermit crab and emerald crab, cuc will be as needed in the new 75 hopefully. I also have a trochus and a starfish now that I’m thinking about it…

It'll eat all of those and ask for more.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

and he’s super pretty, I love the coloring for some reason

Thanks! One of my favorite of the labrids.

They do get big though, you'll need a larger tank than a 75 for an adult...

 

[MIKE NY]

Be careful with that Cyanopleura and Aurantidorsalis, they may not get along due to being closely related.
That lineatus is gorgeous though and looks to be thriving in your care

Thanks …I really like Anampses and I actually was able to keep the two Cirrhilabruses in same acclimation box where the pics were taken. They were fine for the first day, more concerned with what was trying to attack them for outside, but by the second day they had to be released. It’s been over a week in the DT and luckily they have ignored each other. I have a heavily stocked tank with fish and coral. I feed heavily which helps with aggression as well.

 

[c_healy]

Soon itll be a myth that fish prices weren’t above 3 digits

The price difference from before I took a break and when I came back was staggering. I couldn’t believe the prices I saw.

 

[C4ctus99]

Thanks! One of my favorite of the labrids.

They do get big though, you'll need a larger tank than a 75 for an adult...

Wellllllll… I’m ambitious… I want a massive predator tank one day, bonnethead shark, groupers, stingray, etc.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Thanks! One of my favorite of the labrids.

They do get big though, you'll need a larger tank than a 75 for an adult...

Sir! That Hogfish has Popeye! You better QT in it!

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Labriidae is a large family consisting of 2 subfamilies;
Scariidae and Bodianidae.
Bodianidae is the subfamily consisting of the ‘Hogfish’, Scariidae is the subfamily consisting of the ‘Parrotfish’ and the other genera are the ‘Wrasses’ (sometimes called ‘Dwarf Parrots’).

As for how we know all these scientifics, a lot of it is research, consistently writing them out and also just training your mind into it. I know I used to write lists and lists of names I had researched of scientifics and now it’s just a thing I know and can write without having to research for the most part (Every so often I do forget one - I tend to mix up Cyanogularis and Flavidorsalis to get Cyanodorsalis) and often the lists I’ll write will be 25-30 names long, and that’s just wrasses!

So if you get Cyanodorsalis is that worse than Cyanobacteria or Dinoflagellates?

 

[i cant think]

What are y’all thoughts on H. garnoti? @SaltyT ?

It’s the same story as with the Chloropterus, they can grow up to be nasty as mature adults.

 

[Fishy Jacket]

Starting a new tank and probably one of the few that put a six line wrasse on their favorite fish list. Maybe because the ones I have had were not too aggressive.

In reading other threads someone pointed to this thread as the place to go for wrasse advice!

I plan to have a tang/wrasse centric mixed reef 200G custom tank (60x30x26) that will include snails, shrimp, crabs, and maybe starfish. Planning on 1.5" deep special grade sandbed. Probably start with a couple of clowns and six line. Eventually add a tang gang (hippo, yellow, yellow-eyed kole, maybe convict, one other TBD. Looking for some advice on wrasses assuming I eventually want 4-6 of them. I fully recognize that temperament is unique to each fish, but hearing capatability experiences from others is still great. Any mix/match combos you recommend? Timing/sequencing with other fish? Also, please note any wrasse you think needs more sand depth. For you six line haters, feel free to give me a wrasse list without one. LOL

Pic of aquascape below. The PVC frame represents a standard 180G 24" height tank, so mine will be 2" taller. Hopefully you can tell I am trying to provide plenty of fish hiding places while also providing swim and coral growth headroom.

 

[i cant think]

Starting a new tank and probably one of the few that put a six line wrasse on their favorite fish list. Maybe because the ones I have had were not too aggressive.

In reading other threads someone pointed to this thread as the place to go for wrasse advice!

I plan to have a tang/wrasse centric mixed reef 200G custom tank (60x30x26) that will include snails, shrimp, crabs, and maybe starfish. Planning on 1.5" deep special grade sandbed. Probably start with a couple of clowns and six line. Eventually add a tang gang (hippo, yellow, yellow-eyed kole, maybe convict, one other TBD. Looking for some advice on wrasses assuming I eventually want 4-6 of them. I fully recognize that temperament is unique to each fish, but hearing capatability experiences from others is still great. Any mix/match combos you recommend? Timing/sequencing with other fish? Also, please note any wrasse you think needs more sand depth. For you six line haters, feel free to give me a wrasse list without one. LOL

Pic of aquascape below. The PVC frame represents a standard 180G 24" height tank, so mine will be 2" taller. Hopefully you can tell I am trying to provide plenty of fish hiding places while also providing swim and coral growth headroom.

Absolutely get a deeper sandbed for any wrasse! I aimed for 2” with my larger gang (Went slightly over and now have 3” deep in some areas), my smaller gang has one species that needs sand so I stuck to a lower amount of sand.
As for wrasse list, there’s way too many species out there. Best thing would be for you to look through each genus, post a list here and then we sort it out;
Cirrhilabrus
Paracheilinus
Halichoeres
Anampses
Pseudojuloides (Although I wouldn’t do this genus in a tang with that many tangs - I’d honestly reduce the tang number to 3 at the max. You’ll find tangs just become too active and often more boring and the aggression just adds up to them being annoying species’ in general)
Macropharyngodon
Xenojulis
If you want a starting list then here you go;
Cirrhilabrus naokoae
Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis
Cirrhilabrus shutmani
Cirrhilabrus nahackyi
Paracheilinus mccoskeri
Paracheilinus cyaneus
Paracheilinus lineopunctatus
Paracheilinus rubricaudalis
Paracheilinus flavidorsalis
Macrophayrngodon bipartitus
Macropharyngodon negrosensis
Macropharyngodon kuiteri
Macropharyngodon moyeri
Macropharyngodon melagris
Anampses melanurus
Anampses melagrides
Anampses lineatus
Anampses neoguinaicus
Anampses cuvier
Pseudojuloides severnsi
Pseudojuloides atavai
Pseudojuloides crux
Pseudojuloides elongatus
Pseudojuloides cerasinus
Xenojulis margaritaceus

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

If I’m honest it looks as though you’ve gotten the sister species to rubrisquamis - Finifenmaa. And finifenmaa seem to be overall more peaceful than rubriquamis.

Rubriquamis is collected rather regularly and in fact Finifenmaa is the rarer of the two over here. The way I personally tell if it’s a finifenmaa is due to the yellow in the dorsal fin, rubriquamis doesn’t have that yellow in the dorsal and instead it’s a rather more clear fin with just the purple tint.

Ok I'm going to try to get some better pics today - I really haven't seen that much orange/yellow on the particular fish I got... Now I'm really curious what I have for sure, lol.