The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[i cant think]

You know what makes hogfish a good wrasse? They sit still for photos. This was a very good wrasse for photos.

I think yours needs to teach the one in my LFS a bit about sitting still…

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Got a dusky wrasse and a cleaner wrasse. I know the cleaner wasn't a wise choice but I'm prepared to feed and do water changes as much as he needs. The dusky seems to be doing great.

Photos in a half - hour after I get the boys acclimated and settled in.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

so erm
this cleaner wrasse is extremely healthy
it is eating inside the acclimation bag

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

right, got the cleaner wrasse in. Is it normal for them to be super sticky? He came out of my rocks covered in scraps of filamentous algae and dust. He's not damaged as far as I can tell but he's dirty.

Also my damsel's had it with me, so it's about time to take him out.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

No photos yet, guys. Damsel ticked me off hard and I had to rip some rockwork to get him out. Good news is both the new foxface and cleaner is doing well, bad news is the water is super cloudy and the lights went off.

 

[i cant think]

right, got the cleaner wrasse in. Is it normal for them to be super sticky? He came out of my rocks covered in scraps of filamentous algae and dust. He's not damaged as far as I can tell but he's dirty.

Also my damsel's had it with me, so it's about time to take him out.

This is normal, this is likely due to how she cocooned herself in a rock and that cocoon is basically a thick slimecoat they can remove every time they wake up or aren’t stressed. You’ll often see a white patchiness when she’s sleeping which is normal. However it’s more noticeable with fairies and flashers that are red than it is with the blue, green or white wrasses.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

This is normal, this is likely due to how she cocooned herself in a rock and that cocoon is basically a thick slimecoat they can remove every time they wake up or aren’t stressed. You’ll often see a white patchiness when she’s sleeping which is normal. However it’s more noticeable with fairies and flashers that are red than it is with the blue, green or white wrasses.

Yup, I noticed after it holed itself in to avoid the damsel. Interestingly, it didn't seem to want to go back into the hole after the damsel left. Becomes really noticeable when your sand is as dusty as mine.

Also, how'd you figure it's a she? I'm not sure how one would sex a cleaner wrasse.

 

[i cant think]

Also, how'd you figure it's a she? I'm not sure how one would sex a cleaner wrasse.

Cleaner wrasses and any wrasse are all born female, I just assume with cleaners based on size and if I don’t know their size I assume they’re female.
The downside to cleaners is there’s no known way of sexing them unfortunately (but size is generally a good way to guess any wrasse’s sex as a maximum sized specimen is likely male and a miniscule specimen is likely a female).

 

[i cant think]

Upon looking it up to see if any new information on sexing this species was out, here’s what I’ve found;
“male cleaner wrasses (L.dimidiatus) are heavier, longer and had a non-significant tendency to show more saturated blue color than females”
https://www.frontiersin.org/article...ale cleaner,saturated blue color than females.


How much of this is true I’m unsure as i have yet to see any difference in specimens but at the same time I don’t have the scientific equipment to sex a cleaner wrasse after death.

In theory though, the first part of that phrase is likely to be true - It makes sense for a more mature, male wrasse or any fish to be heavier and longer.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Cleaner wrasses and any wrasse are all born female, I just assume with cleaners based on size and if I don’t know their size I assume they’re female.
The downside to cleaners is there’s no known way of sexing them unfortunately (but size is generally a good way to guess any wrasse’s sex as a maximum sized specimen is likely male and a miniscule specimen is likely a female).

it is a pretty big specimen in comparison to the rest at the lfs so I'm just putting it ambiguous, but it's probably a she.

 

[LeonardTheWrasse]

How can you tell linespot flashers and blue flashers apart when still juvenile and not flashing? I saw one at my LFS, and I thought it was a blue, but looking at photos now, maybe it was a linespot...

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

yeahhhhh the nibble fish
@Slocke look at him
Silly

 

[Tcook]

yeahhhhh the nibble fish
@Slocke look at him
Silly

That’s a good sized cleaner. Looks like he has had experience with poisonous fish.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

And here's the dusky
He has yet to figure out the concept of anything except the top right corner

 

[Slocke]

Well this is a bad sign. Anyone have any thoughts who could have done it?

 

[JoJosReef]

Well this is a bad sign. Anyone have any thoughts who could have done it?

Was that your urchin?

 

[Slocke]

Was that your urchin?

One of several. I expected they might be in danger once the wrasse get bigger but none of my wrasse are even 4”

 

[Tcook]

One of several. I expected they might be in danger once the wrasse get bigger but none of my wrasse are even 4”

Could be old age. Found one of mine like that. It had shorter spines over time that layed flatter and looked messy compared to the other urchins in the tank.

 

[Slocke]

Could be old age. Found one of mine like that. It had shorter spines over time that layed flatter and looked messy compared to the other urchins in the tank.

Hopefully. It is next to the dragon wrasses pile of rocks and shells but that doesn’t mean much as it could have just moved the empty shell there.

 

[Lisa Cain]

My Moon Wrasse