The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

JakeK · Oct 12, 2015

I currently have a helfrichi firefish that will be moving to my new 93 gallon tank. I'm thinking about adding another wrasse. I also currently have a McCosker. The two front runners for the wrasse are the exquisite fairy wrasse and the melanurus wrasse. I have less concern with the exquisite as my firefish and McCosker tolerate each other pretty well. I have no idea about the melanurus wrasse. Are they typically aggressive towards smaller fish especially at meal time?

eatbreakfast · Oct 12, 2015

JakeK said:
I currently have a helfrichi firefish that will be moving to my new 93 gallon tank. I'm thinking about adding another wrasse. I also currently have a McCosker. The two front runners for the wrasse are the exquisite fairy wrasse and the melanurus wrasse. I have less concern with the exquisite as my firefish and McCosker tolerate each other pretty well. I have no idea about the melanurus wrasse. Are they typically aggressive towards smaller fish especially at meal time?

Both will leave the firefish, but may both be a little bossy toward the flasher.

evolved · Oct 12, 2015

^ and with about equal potential

JakeK · Oct 12, 2015

Pete polyp said:
All the mc Coskers I have seen are red. Do they get that color as an adult?

I'm not really sure. I bought this guy sight-unseen off of Live Aquaria as a black-tail McCosker. They are from off the east coast of Africa.

JakeK · Oct 12, 2015

evolved and eatbreakfast - thank you for the info.

Pete polyp · Oct 12, 2015

JakeK said:
I'm not really sure. I bought this guy sight-unseen off of Live Aquaria as a black-tail McCosker. They are from off the east coast of Africa.

@evolved will know

evolved · Oct 12, 2015

look up a few posts... https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-wrasse-lovers-thread.113942/page-142#post-2495866

Duke4Life · Oct 12, 2015

Hunter & TJ, I've been bouncing and forth from 3reef and reefbuilders, any other sites that would be worth checking out on wrasses that may contain something useful not on those 2 or here?

evolved · Oct 12, 2015

fishbase.org
but that's a scientific database/journal

Pete polyp · Oct 12, 2015

Missed that post completely! The black is nice, but in after the yellow body mostly. I think I have not seen an adult in person before.

evolved · Oct 12, 2015

Adult coloration is variable, but outside the caudal coloration that's about on par with what to expect.

mmarro99 · Oct 12, 2015

Wrasse question for you. .. Would aggression from an established 8" red coris subside towards a newly introduced 4" yellow coris? Or is the yellow coris doomed for a death sentence?

evolved · Oct 12, 2015

Well, they are of a different genus (Coris gaimard and Halichoeres chrysus), so it may not be too bad, but I would undoubtedly use an acclimation box.

evolved · Oct 12, 2015

And this is why I hate the common name of "yellow coris", but I digress...

Baldguy · Oct 12, 2015

JakeK said:
Another shot of my McCosker.

Beautiful! Never seen one colored like that. Any chance it's a hybrid? Never seen a yellow body like that on a McCoskers.

eatbreakfast · Oct 12, 2015

Baldguy said:
Beautiful! Never seen one colored like that. Any chance it's a hybrid? Never seen a yellow body like that on a McCoskers.

Not in this case. The only other flasher where the blacktail mckosker is found is the diamondtail, and it's not showing any of the shared traits. Some adults are more orange, others more red, but they are capable of lightening their base color while flashing.

Pete polyp · Oct 12, 2015

eatbreakfast said:
Not in this case. The only other flasher where the blacktail mckosker is found is the diamondtail, and it's not showing any of the shared traits. Some adults are more orange, others more red, but they are capable of lightening their base color while flashing.

So they aren't typically yellow as adults? I plan to get one to flash at my yellowfin. I also plan to get a line spot and a blue flasher. Might even get the filamented also.