Wrasse ID & Recommendations

[i cant think]

My melanarus ate all the polyps and tentacles off both my elegance corals (one is still recovering, the other didn't make it). I've been told this is very unusual and very peculiar behavior.

Thats more than unusual, interesting that he ate the polyps and tentacles. Are you sure it was him?

 

[blaxsun]

Thats more than unusual, interesting that he ate the polyps and tentacles. Are you sure it was him?

My wife caught him doing it to the first elegance, and of course I dismissed it (he's probably hunting) - and then we both watched him methodically ripping the polyps off one by one one a day later.

We moved that elegance to the middle of the tank, but he tracked it down and finished it off. We had a second elegance that wasn't doing well and moved it near the spot of the first (deceased) one and within a few weeks it had completely recovered and grown significantly.

And then 'Mal' tracked it down and ate off every polyp again (and we once again caught him in the act). So we repositioned the second elegance and it's been slowly recovering with new polyps protruding (we honestly though it was toast).

Love my melanarus and not getting rid of him. He's almost as interesting as my killer green urchin that bagged a half dozen hermits, snails and even a horseshoe crab.

 

[i cant think]

My wife caught him doing it to the first elegance, and of course I dismissed it (he's probably hunting) - and then we both watched him methodically ripping the polyps off one by one one a day later.

We moved that elegance to the middle of the tank, but he tracked it down and finished it off. We had a second elegance that wasn't doing well and moved it near the spot of the first (deceased) one and within a few weeks it had completely recovered and grown significantly.

And then 'Mal' tracked it down and ate off every polyp again (and we once again caught him in the act). So we repositioned the second elegance and it's been slowly recovering with new polyps protruding (we honestly though it was toast).

Love my melanarus and not getting rid of him. He's almost as interesting as my killer green urchin that bagged a half dozen hermits, snails and even a horseshoe crab.

That’s interesting, I would’ve also shrugged it off as hunting and that’s what I was going to say it could’ve been.

 

[WTJReef]

Halichoeres:
Melanurus - Relatively peaceful but will hold its own with aggression

Iridis - Normally peaceful however they can hold their own when established (They can be difficult to ship so they’re labelled as Expert)

Vroliki - Usually peaceful but much like the melanurus, they don’t take well to bullies and will be relatively boisterous

Chloropterus - Usually all out aggressive but I hold hope to this species being moderate as my specimen is getting to the top of the hierarchy and doesn’t seem to be too aggressive

Rubricephalus - Much like the melanurus and vroliki these can be rather boisterous and withstand aggression

Marginatus - Again, much like the Melanurus and vroliki these can be boisterous but also withstand aggression.

Cirrhilabrus:
Melanomarginatus - Part of the complex Scottorum, these can withstand aggression however they aren’t as aggressive as their close relative, C. scottorum is

Naokoae - Part of the Complex rubrivebtralis, these are a moderately aggressive species and will withstand aggression.

Solorensis - Part of the complex cyanopleura, much like the naokoae this is a moderately aggressive species and can withstand aggression.

Roseafascia - Part of the complex Lanceolatus, these are rather docile for the most of it however they can handle aggression

These are the two most common genera to find being owned in captivity, obviously there will be more this is just a short list of Halichoeres and Cirrhilabrus.

Thank you so much for all the effort you have put into this! You're a legend sir!

Have you kept each of these yourself?

 

[i cant think]

Thank you so much for all the effort you have put into this! You're a legend sir!

Have you kept each of these yourself?

I have personally kept the Melanomarginatus, Chloropterus, Iridis and Naokoae
Here’s my whole wrasse gang, it’s a mix of peaceful and temperamental
Cirrhilabrus naokoae & Macropharyngodon bipartitus

Cirrhilabrus lubbocki (Both variants)

Cirrhilabrus Lubbocki “Cebu” & Cirrhilabrus melanomarginatus

Halichoeres iridis & Halichoeres chloropterus

Halichoeres iridis & Cirrhilabrus melanomarginatus

Cirrhilabrus melanomarginatus

The test I have kept in an LFS for a couple months then they got sold, I have also kept a few other wrasses that are known to be extremely aggressive but remained peaceful and only became aggressive (Chasing) due to dominance.