Leopard wrasse hiding for days after adding Melanurus.

[SaltyT]

Her name is Digi

She's so small and cute! I think you made the right call rehoming the Mel. Because she's so small she could have succumbed to the stress if it kept going.

 

[Bigreefer402]

She's so small and cute! I think you made the right call rehoming the Mel. Because she's so small she could have succumbed to the stress if it kept going.

My thoughts exactly. Thank you for all your input. Happy reefing!

 

[homer1475]

Beautiful specimen for sure.

Leopards are bar far my favorite family of wrasses. I've owned every one in the family minus the chaoti(only because of price), which I may break my rule of price sooner or later.

 

[OrionN]

Update. I took the melanurus wrasse back and exchanged him for an exquisite wrasse. Everyone is friendly and happy now

I was going to suggest returning the Melanurus. Leopard wrasse, of any species, is a much rarer, hard to keep fish. It is a shame if you add a Melanurus and kill your healthy Leopard. I am not saying that Melanurus is not a beautiful wrasse, but you may want to add a tiny juvenile melanurus, and let him grow up. That way he won't bother your leopard. This is my Vrolik's wrasse. Added as a 1 inch juvenile (sold to me as a Melanurus) and here he is after 2 years

 

[Bigreefer402]

I was going to suggest returning the Melanurus. Leopard wrasse, of any species, is a much rarer, hard to keep fish. It is a shame if you add a Melanurus and kill your healthy Leopard. I am not saying that Melanurus is not a beautiful wrasse, but you may want to add a tiny juvenile melanurus, and let him grow up. That way he won't bother your leopard. This is my Vrolik's wrasse. Added as a 1 inch juvenile (sold to me as a Melanurus) and here he is after 2 yearsView attachment 2881198View attachment 2881203View attachment 2881204

Ya when I returned the big male I was looking to get a small female or tiny male but they didn’t have any so I got an exquisite wrasse. Such a shame the melanurus was super cool.

 

[OrionN]

Maybe your Leopard can change from small female to terminal male like mine

 

[ilikefish69]

Maybe your Leopard can change from small female to terminal male like mineView attachment 2881209View attachment 2881210View attachment 2881213

Is that a special type of leopard?

 

[Bigreefer402]

Maybe your Leopard can change from small female to terminal male like mineView attachment 2881209View attachment 2881210View attachment 2881213

Such a beauty. Can’t wait until my baby is all grown.

 

[OrionN]

Is that a special type of leopard?

That is a M. meleagris. The common leopard wrasse.

 

[Bigreefer402]

Such a beauty. Can’t wait until my baby is all grown.

That is a M. meleagris. The common leopard wrasse.so do you have

So did you have other leopards that made her change to a male? Or do both male and female look the same as juveniles then the dna changes them or do they need other leopard wrasses to make the change?

 

[Bigreefer402]

So did you have other leopards that made her change to a male? Or do both male and female look the same as juveniles then the dna changes them or do they need other leopard wrasses to make the change?

 

[OrionN]

Leopard wrasse, like a lot of other wrasse are protogynous hermaphrodites. These fish are juveniles then female then male. growth and nutrition play a big role in when sex change occur, and (perhaps) lack of inhibitions from dominate males. I do not believe that the se change in wrasse are reversible.

 

[Bigreefer402]

Leopard wrasse, like a lot of other wrasse are protogynous hermaphrodites. These fish are juveniles then female then male. growth and nutrition play a big role in when sex change occur, and (perhaps) lack of inhibitions from dominate males. I do not believe that the se change in wrasse are reversible.

awesome info, i can tell you i've had her for a couple months now and she was maybe and inch and a half when i got her and looked awesome. now she is a little over 2 inches and everyday is so fat from all the amphipods and copepods she eats. hopefully she will change to male.

 

[rcillig]

every time I add a fish my leopard hides for about a week give or take.... now i can laugh but the first few times I was on pins and needles wondering what the heck!

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Leopard wrasse, like a lot of other wrasse are protogynous hermaphrodites. These fish are juveniles then female then male. growth and nutrition play a big role in when sex change occur, and (perhaps) lack of inhibitions from dominate males. I do not believe that the se change in wrasse are reversible.

I don't know if it's a direct sex change or just an appearance change, but I've had wrasses appear to reverse sex back into a female if they are very non-dominant in the tank. Had a male bird wrasse (full green) revert into female coloration after being kept with angry triggers and tangs for about a year. Saw the same thing happen with a male pink square anthias appear to revert to an all-orange female.

 

[OrionN]

In some species of fish/animals the hermaphrodites are reversible, while other species, the change is irreversible.