Wrasses

Leopard Wrasses: Macropharyngodon
Splendid Leopard Wrasse	Choat's Wrasse
Macropharyngodon bipartitus	Macropharyngodon choati
Leopard Wrasse	Black Leopard Wrasse
Macropharyngodon meleagris	Macropharyngodon negrosensis
Ornate Leopard Wrasse
Macropharyngodon ornatus

Lined Wrasses: Pseudocheilinus
Six-line Wrasse	Mystery Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia	Pseudocheilinus ocellatus
Eight-Lined Wrasse	Four Line Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus octotaenia	Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia

Cleaner Wrasses: Labroides
Bluestreak (Common) Cleaner Wrasse -	Blackspot Cleaner Wrasse
Labroides dimidiatus	Labroides pectoralis

Thalassoma
Bluehead Wrasse	Saddle Wrasse
Thalassoma bifasciatum	Thalassoma duperrey
Sixbar Wrasse	Cortez Rainbow Wrasse
Thalassoma hardwicke	Thalassoma lucasanum
Moon Wrasse ~ Lunar Wrasse	Yellow-brown Wrasse ~ Yellow Moon Wrasse
Thalassoma lunare	Thalassoma lutescens
Klunzinger's Wrasse
Thalassoma rueppellii

Other Wrasses
King Coris	Clown Wrasse
Coris auricularis	Coris gaimardi
Greenbird Wrasse Blackbird Wrasse	Dragon Wrasse
(male) (female) Gomphosus varius	Novaculichthys taeniorus

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Description:
   The Wrasse family Labridae, contains about 60 genera and over 500 species of fish and are found throughout all the tropical regions of the world. They are often very colorful and many, though not all, are well suited to aquarium life. There are lots of variations within the family. Wrasses range in size from just a few centimeters to over 2 meters in length, some have cylindrical body shapes while others are deeper bodied. Even within a single species they can go through many color and pattern changes which has made them a challenge to identify. There are stories of two fish of the same species looking so different that they had originally been scientifically described as two separate species.

   Like many marine fish, Wrasses mainly use their pectoral fins for movement but will use their caudal fin (tailfin) for fast getaways in emergencies. Many wrasses will bury themselves in the sand and thus provide a good stirring of the gravel. They are usually good for reef aquaria although they may eat small crustaceans, but again be sure to research the wrasse you are considering to make sure it is compatible with your set up.

Care and feeding:
     These are fast moving fish using a lot of energy, thus a large appetite. With the exception of the cleaner wrasses, these fish are usually not overly picky eaters and will quickly adapt aquarium foods. Although diet varies from species to species, most wrasses eat molluscs and crustaceans in the wild. In the Aquarium they should be fed all kinds of meaty foods, including brineshrimp and most frozen fish foods. Due to their hearty appetite they will put a larger load on the aquarium and and water quality will need diligent attention.

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