Why is my Banana Wrasse doing this?
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malacoda
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Looks to me like it's showing aggression to his reflection in the tank glass. My blacklined blenny shows similar gesturing to it's reflection--particularly right after I've cleaned the glass--just not quite with that much enthusiasm.
As to why now, after you've already had it for two months, perhaps as it's transitioning from being a juvenile to an adult is is now more prone to being territorial against what it believes is another banana wrasse.
What size is your tank? (The full tank is only shown for a split second at the very beginning so I couldn't tell, is it a 40b?)
I ask because it could also be that, if your tank is too small, as it grows, it feels like it's territory is becoming more constrained making it feel like the other banana wrasse -- e.g. its reflection -- is more of a threat than it was before.
As to why now, after you've already had it for two months, perhaps as it's transitioning from being a juvenile to an adult is is now more prone to being territorial against what it believes is another banana wrasse.
What size is your tank? (The full tank is only shown for a split second at the very beginning so I couldn't tell, is it a 40b?)
I ask because it could also be that, if your tank is too small, as it grows, it feels like it's territory is becoming more constrained making it feel like the other banana wrasse -- e.g. its reflection -- is more of a threat than it was before.
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JCOLE
Grower of the Small Polyps
I was thinking the same thing. It seems to look into the glass alot. I did just clean the glass a couple days ago after letting it get bad for about 2 weeks. That could be it. Its tail shredded one of the Duncan's heads. I moved the Duncan up to my frag rack to try and save it.
The tank is a 55 gallon. I picked up a new 150 gallon that is sitting in the garage just waiting for the swap. I was going to try and move it this weekend but it looks like I need to push it out another 2 weeks. :-(
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He's fighting his "challenger"; the rival male he sees outside the tank... i.e. - his reflection.
Sidenote: this is Halichoeres leucoxanthus. "Banana wrasse" (while I hate common names) is typically used for H. chrysus (but is also used for Thalassoma lutescens - hence one reason I hate common names
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Sidenote: this is Halichoeres leucoxanthus. "Banana wrasse" (while I hate common names) is typically used for H. chrysus (but is also used for Thalassoma lutescens - hence one reason I hate common names
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I agree on the common names thing. I also hate how the Yellow Halichoeres Wrasse is often referred to as a Yellow Coris Wrasse when it's a Halichoeres and not a Coris. Makes it a lot more difficult to help people out, that's why I prefer the latin names for the most part, unless the common name clearly defines a set species (ie Coral Beauty, PJ Cardinalfish, etc.).
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JCOLE
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So I got me a fighter? Nice. I bought it from the LFS named banana wrasse so that's what I call it. Lol. Is that not the correct name?He's fighting his "challenger"; the rival male he sees outside the tank... i.e. - his reflection.
Sidenote: this is Halichoeres leucoxanthus. "Banana wrasse" (while I hate common names) is typically used for H. chrysus (but is also used for Thalassoma lutescens - hence one reason I hate common names
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Technically the latin name mentioned above is the correct name. Banana is more of a nickname, but unfortunately it's been attached to several different wrasses which makes things confusing. The problem is that the industry hasn't standardized naming and it makes things really confusing for people as no two sites or stores use the same names for certain types of fish. For example my Melanurus Wrasse is officially a Halichoeres Melanurus, but I can go to one site/store and order it as a Hoeven's Wrasse, go to another site/store and order it as the Melanurus Wrasse, go to another site/store and order it as the Pinstripe Wrasse and then go to another site/store and order it as the Tailspot Wrasse. All that for the same fish.
2015GaTor
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I had a beautiful lunar wrasse in my tank for about two months then it all the sudden just started shredding my zoa colony. Had to pull him out and sell him. This was in my 125. Shame too I loved the fish!
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Thalassoma are a whole different breed of wrasses. I would love to have a blue head at some point, but it would be an absolute unholy terror in my tank in it's current config. I think my Foxface with it's venomous spines might be the only fish in my current tank that could work with a Blue Head.
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JCOLE
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I am upgrading to a 150 in 2 weeks. When I take everything out of the tank I might either sell him or put together another tank for a FOWLR tank. I love my corals to much to see them get tore up.
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JCOLE
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That is weird why they cannot stick to specific names. You sure know your stuff though!
