Wrasse question

[Tikosyn]

Hi all,

So I have a 160 gallon tank with a 40g sump.

Current wrasse list: orange back fairy wrasse , McCoskers flasher wrasse (my favorite), and a red lined wrasse (halichores biocellatus).

They have only been in the tank for a week and I want to add two more wrasses: a melanurus and a blue throat fairy wrasse. I know the melanurus and the Christmas wrasse are the same species and I have heard that blue throats are extremely aggressive. Thanks for any input!

(Disclaimer: all fish are quarantined)

 

[Doc Lemonjello]

Melanurus and Christmas Wrasse are not the same species.

H. melanurus “Melanurus Wrasse”: Usually available, relatively inexpensive. May occasionally target snails and/or crabs (including hermits). Usually peaceful with other Halichoeres wrasses.

H. claudia “Christmas Wrasse”: Often available, inexpensive. Usually very peaceful and does not pick on inverts often. However, it is often confused with ornatissimus. Usually peaceful with other Halichoeres wrasses.

Please check out these articles on this very forum for answers to most of your wrasse compatibility questions:

All About Reef Safe Wrasses in Aquaria

Introduction My name is Hunter and I am a wrasse addict. Admitting such is the first step to buying another wrasse, I think. Wrasses are not only my passion, but my niche in this hobby since 2010. My tank is full of them, and unfortunately...

www.reef2reef.com

Cirrhilabrus Complexes: Inferiority Need Not Apply (1st Revision)

Cirrhilabrus, the “Fairy Wrasses”, are one of the most elegant, active, and colorful reef fish. Their appeal in a reef tank is common to many, but not all have a well-rounded understanding of the compatibility amongst them. Enter the notion of...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Mayerlyn A]

2 really good threads posted above.

 

[saltyhog]

What do you mean by blue throat fairy ? C. cyanopleura? Do you have a picture?

 

[mattzang]

i think he's referring to the red line wrasse as the christmas wrasse. sometimes it's called the red christmas wrasse or something, i bought mine from an lfs who had it listed as a fiji red christmas wrasse

i have a biocellatus in with a h. chrysus and they're fine. they're actually kind of buddies, always cruising around together. melanarus is a little more aggressive, but mixing halichoeres isn't usually an issue unless you toss in a super aggressive one

What do you mean by blue throat fairy ? C. cyanopleura? Do you have a picture?

i think it's c. cyanogularis

https://reefbuilders.com/2018/05/30/cirrhilabrus-cyanogularis-blue-throated-fairy-wrasse/

evolved has it in the filamentosus group so probably extremely aggressive

 

[saltyhog]

Agree that's one that's probably gonna be very aggressive.

"Christmas wrasse" is one of the best examples of why common names aren't very useful. We could start a thread with all the fish that sometimes are called that. H. ornatissimus, H. claudia, H. biocellatus, H. melanurus and T. trilobatum are ones I have heard referred to as Christmas wrasse.