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Wrasse Family
The Wrasses family of fish is made up of one of the larger groups of fish. Even though they have many similarities there are a lot of differences whether its shapes, color, size or attitude. I have separated them in to different groups based on this.


Hog Fish
This is a group of fish that can get very large, anywhere from 4”-2’+, and will eat small fish, crab, shrimp and any inverts they can grab. Though some people have kept a couple of these fish in reef tanks because of their size, and what they eat, they’ll be better off in a large FO or Fowlr tanks. Unlike a lot of the other wrasses, different type of Hog fish can be mixed together in the same tank but you need to make sure the tank is large, has rocks for hiding spaces and the size of each Hog fish should be different. What will happen is they wouldn’t fight with each other but will develop a pecking out and usually stay out of each others way. Wrasse and Hog fish are usually very slow growers so the size that you usually purchase them at will pretty much be the size they’ll stay for some time. Can be kept with aggressive fish but trigger, eels and other very aggressive fish may harass it and take pieces out of it tail or fins. This could cause the Hog fish to hide or be really stressed out and even die, so you need to be careful when mixing these fish together with other fish, even though they are large in size. They need hiding spaces and caves in the tank as they can be on the shy side.

Bodianus macrourus-Blackfin Saddle Hog
Bodianus mesothorax-Coral Hog
Bodianus axillaries-Coral Hog
Bodianus pulchellus-Cuban Hog
Bodianus bilunulatus-Saddle Hog
Bodianus Diana-Diana Hog
Bodianus rufus-Spanish Hog
Lachnolaimus maximus-Costa Rican Hog

This is a group of Hog fish that are regularly available for sale at most LFS. Most get up to at 1’ in length though the Spanish Hog can get close to 2’ with the Saddle hogs usually a smaller size, about 4”-6”. Small Juv. usually has different marking but within a short time they change over to the adult colors. Small Juv. will also perform cleaning functions. A very hardy group of fish that does very well in a FO or Fowlr tank though if you’re not going to have inverts would also do well in a reef tank.

Bodianus anthioides-Lyretail Hog(Red Sea)
From the Red sea, from the head to the middle of the body Red/Orange with the rest white with a lyretail. Gets about 6”-8”and does very well in a FO or Fowlr tank.

Cheilinuss fasciatus-Red Breast Wrasse
A wrasse from the Red sea and parts of Japan, show up in some Bali shipment, can reach lengths of about 2’. Usually Juv. don’t have the red/orange colors of the adult and are very bland in color, usually brown, and because of that aren’t exported that often, though smaller Bali ones seems to have more color and color-up faster than adults from the Red sea, which usually don’t start showing adult colors until they reach 6”-8”. Even though they get very large they need hiding spaces as they’re some what shy. Likes to look and move around the sand looking for food.


Lienardella fasciata-Harlequin Tusk(Trunk Fish)
Harlequin Tusks, and all Trunk fishes, are aggressive feeder looking for inverts and small fish in the sand and around the tank. They will eat through hermit and snail shell so if you plan on having them in your reef tank you need to take that into account other wise they do better in FO or Fowlr tanks. When looking to purchase a Harlequin Tusk the better ones come from Australia. They’re better than the ones from Philippians as they’re much hardier, eat right away, and are usually in better condition not to mention they have better colors than the Philippians ones. The ones from the Philippians don’t usually have a good survival rate and usually die within a short time either from not eating or some thing not being right with them, from how they where collected. The different between the two is that the Australia on has a lot more purple on the back of the body, the orange stripe are much more bright as are the color of the teeth. So even though the Australia ones cost more they’re usually worth the price.

Epibulus insidiator-Sling Jaw Wrasse
This is a wrasse that can get very large and like its name has a long sling jaw that it used to catch fish. Female are yellow while males are darker in color. Some can reach good lengths and get pretty big. Even though they hunt fish, and grab them with the sling jaw mouth, they usually do better with non-aggressive fish in a FO or Fowlr tank.

Cheilinus abudjubbe-Abujubbe/ Splendour Wrasse
A really colorful wrasse, from the Red sea, that reached a length of about 1 _’. Doesn’t get to large, you can usually find small individual of about 6”- 8” with full color. Not as aggressive as some of the other Hog fish and need plenty of hiding spaces in the tank.

Cheilinus oxycephalus-Snotty Wrasse
Oxycheilinus bimaculatus-Two Spot/ Maori Wrasse
Smaller Hog fish that get only about 3”-4” or so and usually aren’t that aggressive. Like the other hogs they will eat small inverts so if you place them into a reef tank you need to take that into consideration. Does well in FO or Fowlr tanks and can be kept with small and peaceful fish.

Oxycheilinus digrammus
A wrasse from the Red sea, that shows up for sale from time to time in LFS. Comes in
a number of different color and markings and can be confused with other wrasse, usually the Ring Tail or the Napoleon wrasse. Adult coloration is an iridescent purple with purple stripes on and around the head, this fish just glows under good lights. Can be some what aggressive and gets to about 1 _’ in size. Should be kept in a FO or Fowlr tank.

Cheilinus undulates- Napoleon Wrasse
Very large wrasse from the Rea sea that reach about 6’+ in length. Small Juv. show up from time to time and can cost a great deal on money. The Juv. is mainly white with some green and they start to color up as they get older. When they start to reach 1 1/2’-2’ they will start to develop the hump head that you usually see in the wild. A very aggressive feeder and because of the large size should only be kept in very large aquariums or public aquariums.


Novaculichthys taeniourus-Dragon Wrasse
A fish that can get very large, even though small individuals are usually available for sale at LFS. They are known to move around rocks and sand looking for food, mostly inverts, they will also hide in the sand at night. Not a good fish for a reef tank but does well in FO and Fowlr tanks. Can be very aggressive, so you need to be careful with other tank mates.

Wrasse - Aggressive

A group of wrasses that are very faster swimmers and need a good size tank with open swimming room; they don’t get along with other members of the Thalassoma family. They are an aggressive group and can be kept with very aggressive fish, like triggers. As I mention they don’t get along with other member of the Thalassoma family and if you try and place two together they fight like crazy until one is dead. They don’t get to large, 4”-12” in length, but some of the smaller ones can be very aggressive, like the Gold Bar Wrasse. Some people have placed these in their reef tank but because of what they eat, inverts, and the swimming room that they require do best in FO or Fowlr tanks. Also Juv. can have different makings or colors than the adults do, though not as completely different as some of the other wrasses, whose Juv. and adult colors and markings can be so different that they look to be different species altogether. They need cave or rocks where they can get underneath to hide and sleep.


Thalassoma hebraicum-Gold Bar Wrasse
Even though a small wrasse they’re very aggressive. Since they come from Africa they don’t usually show up that often.

Thalassoma jansenii-Jansen Wrasse
One of the smallest of the group is probably the most peaceful but still is an aggressive feeder. Super males get purple/blue coloring up the head/mouth area. Doesn’t show up that often but when they do they’re reasonably priced.

Thalassoma bifasciatum-Blue Head
A very thin wrasse but can be very aggressive and doesn’t usually go for other wrasses in the same tank. Some Juv start off with yellow/white in their bodies but will change over in no time to the adult coloration.

Thalassoma klunzingeri-Klunzinger Wrasse
A very beautiful colored wrasse that does very well in a FO or Fowlr tank.

Thalassoma lunare-Lunare Wrasse
One of the more regularly available wrasses for sale and will show up in LFS in many different sizes. Juv and adults usually have the same color patterns and marking except adults are usually solid in color where Juvs have a split color where the top is green and the bottom blue. Most come in colors of Green/Pink/Purple and Blue and vary in color from where they’re collected from. Some can get large and do require large area to swim in.
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Thalassoma lutescens-Banana Wrasse
Similar to the Lunare wrasse in shape and body markings, but the color is yellow with some green in it, and is usually somewhat smaller in size.

Thalassoma hardwicke-Hardwicke Wrasse
Juv have a light color body with light stripes just starting from the top. As the fish changes to adult colors, it will turn blue and the stripes from the top of its body will extend down and darken and can have some yellow around the stripes. Gets to about 6”-8” and does well in FO & Fowlr tanks. It is somewhat shy, and needs to be placed with peaceful tankmates. Will eat inverts, so if placed into a reef tank, you need to watch them.

Thalassoma lucasanum-Paddlefin Wraase
Thalassoma lucasanum-Rainbow Wrasse
A very colorful fish; the adults have a blue/green head a yellow bar, just after the head, and the body is red with a blue tail. Juv are dark in color with yellow and pink lines. Gets to 6”-8” and does best in FO or Fowlr tanks. Because they eat inverts, if you place one in a reef tank, you need to watch them.


Thalassoma dupery-Saddle Wrasse
A blue/green color fish with a band of orange, the saddle, just after the head. Reaches to about 8”-12” and is good for a FO or Fowlr tank. Because they eat inverts, if you place one in a reef tank, you need to watch them.
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Wrasse-Coris

A very popular group of wrasses, as the Juv. colors are orange with white stripe and they have a funny swimming motion. They will dive into the sand, either to sleep or when frightened. As they start to change into adult colors, they go through a dramatic change and look nothing like the Juv. They eat inverts and worms and will dive into the sand; they may not be the best fish to introduce into a reef tank. They can disappear for days at a time, hiding in the sand and taken for dead, only to reappear out of the blue. They do very well in a FO or Fowlr tanks and should have peaceful tank mates.


Coris gaimard Africana-Red Coris Wrasse
Juv. are orange with white markings and are usually about 2”-3”. Adults change color and look completely different than the Juv form. Adults have a dark orange-brown/blue body with blue dots near the tail and a yellow tail. Sub-adults show up from time to time and usually have the adult color with some of the white markings of the Juv. They will dive into the sand, either to sleep or when they’re frightened. They can go missing in the tank for days and then reappear all of a sudden. Adults reach about 1’ in length, though you can find smaller and large adult sizes for sale. Because they eat inverts and dive into the sand, they may not be suited for reef tanks. If you're going to keep one in FO or Fowlr tank, you should have sand for them to dive into.

Corris Formosa-Formosa Wrasse
Very similar to the Coris Wrasse, except that as a Juv, they have more black around the body and white stripes. The adults are similar also, but don’t have the blue/orange color in their body or the yellow tail and have dark spots as opposed to blue spots. They get some what larger, say about 2’, than the Coris Wrasse.

Coris aygula-Twin Spot Wrasse
As with all the Coris Wrasse, Juvs and adults look nothing like one another. The Juv. is white with black spots and some orange on the top of the back part of its body and two spots, one on each side; Twin Spot. They're usually about 4” in size. The Adult will change into white with spots in the front of the body and dark colors in the back and reach a length of about a 1’. Then it will change into a male with dark green body and lighter stripe bands in the middle of the body. It can reach a size of about 3’. They eat inverts and will bury themselves in the sand at night. Because of their ultimate size and that they eat inverts, they really should be kept in FO or Fowlr tanks even though people do keep the small Juv in reef tanks. Large adults are really only suited for public aquariums or very large tanks.

Coris picta-Picta Wrasse(Comb)
Once again the Juv colors are completely different than the adult. Juv are white with slight lines through the body. Adults are white with long lines that run it’s body length; the top one usually being orange while the bottom one, that runs from the mouth through the eye to the tail is dark and has jagged edges, like a comb, that come down into the white of the lower body. Juv will dive in the sand; adults not as much. Can reach about 8” and usually is pretty peaceful in the tank. Since it eats inverts, you need to be careful placing it in a reef tank. If you place it in a FO or Fowlr tank, Juv need sand beds, but adults can get away without sand.
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Butterfly Fish

Butterfly fish are a group of fish that usually eat corals exclusively or as part of their diets. So placing one in a reef tank is either a no-no or they need to be monitored very closely. There are a number of Butterfly fish that exclusively eat corals, and usually don’t accept anything else, and aren’t suited for the home aquarium and should be left in the ocean. Butterfly fish need a good sized tank and plenty of hiding spaces; they also need peaceful tank mates. They do well in either single, pairs or small groups but mixing them together with other Butterfly fish can be a problem, so care is needed in try to place different Butterfly fish in the same tank. Tricks to get some Butterfly fish to start to eat usually involve placing open mussels and clam, in their open shell, inside the tank. Because they can be hard to keep, except for a couple of Butterfly fish, they should be left to the advanced hobbyist.

Copperbands

Copperband Butterfly fish are basically used to controller Aiptasia anemones in a reef tank. It can be hit or miss, as some Copperbands will eat Aiptasia anemones and others not even touch them. They can be a tough fish to keep, as a lot of times they will not eat any food and just waste away. The Australian ones seem to do better, but still a lot more die than make it. People try feeding them mussels and clams on the shells but even then it can be hit or miss. I guess the real question is, is it worth trying to keep this fish just to control Aiptasia anemones or using some other means to control them.

Chelmon rostratus-Copperband

Hardy Butterfly Fish

This is a group of Butterfly fish that does very well in the home aquarium. Most will eat all kinds of food but some will still go after corals so it’s very risky placing them in a reef tank. The Declevis and the Tinkeri are usually very expensive, as can be the Semi Lavarvatus. The Klein Butterfly fish is one of the hardiest of the group, and does well in a FO or Fowlr tank. Butterfly fish do need space and peaceful tank mates, so they should be kept in large tanks.

Chaetodon auriga-Auriga
Chaetodon declevis-Declevis
Chaetodon tinkeri-Tinkeri
Chaetodon semilarvatus-Semilavarvatus
Chaetodon mesoleucos-White Face(Red Sea)
Chaetodon Burgessi-Burgess
Chaetodon Kleinii-Klein
Chaetodon unimaculatus-Teardrop
Chelmonops Truncatus-Old Wife
Chaetodon daedalma-Wrough Iron
Forcipiger Flavissimus-Longnose
Forcipiger longirostris-Longnose
Chaetodon lunula-Raccoon


Moderate/Hard Butterfly Fish

This group of Butterfly fish is usually hard to maintain in the home aquarium and really should only be kept by advanced hobbyist that are willing to keep them in the proper tank with conditions to survive.

Chaetodon paucifasciatus-Pearlscale
Chaetodon ephippium-Saddleback
Chaetodon rafflesi-rafflesi
Chaetodon Collare-Collare
Prognathodes aya-Bank
Hemitauricthys Polylepis-Pyramid
Chaetodon octofasciatus-Eightbanded
Chaetodon andamanensis-Andaman
Chaetodon capistratus-Foureye
Chaetodon decussates-vagabond
Chaetodon fremblii-Bluestripe
Chaetodon milliaris-lemon
Chaetodon paucifasciatus-Orangeback
Chaetodon quadmrimaculatus-Fourspot
Chaetodon Fafflesi-Latticed
Chaetodon Rainfordi-Rainford
Chaetodon Citrinellus-Pebble
Chaetodon Pakistani-Pakistani
Chaetodon ulietensis-Falcua Double Saddle

Heniochus Butterfly Fish

This group of Butterfly fish, Heniochus, is very hardy and does well in the home aquarium. They will eat almost anything, but they may also pick on corals. If you decide to place one in your reef tank, you must watch them very carefully. They can be some what quarrelsome amongst each other and sometimes with other fish. They do well in groups and should be given room and hiding spaces.

Heniochus intermedus
Heniochus acuminatus
Heniochus varius
Heniochus pleorotaenia
Heniochus diphreutes
Heniochus singularis


Do Not Keep List

This is a group of Butterfly fish that should never be taken out of the ocean as they eat nothing but corals and chances of survival are almost zero. There isn’t a reason that any store should be selling any of these Butterfly fish.

Chaetodon ornatissimus-Orante
Chaetodon Meyeri-Meyers
Chaetodon trifascialis-Chevron
Chaetodon larvatus-larvatus
Chaetodon austriacus-Exquisite
Chaetodon baronessa-Triangle
Chaetodon lunulatus-Redfin
Chaetodon Melapterus-Arabian
Chaetodon aureofasciatus-Goldenstriped
Chaetodon bennetti-Bennett

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Assessor macneilli-Assessor Blue
Assessor Flavissimus-Goldden Assessor
Assessors are great fish for a reef tank, but can be on the expensive side. They usually don’t bother any fish, coral or inverts, and are very peaceful fish. They can be kept in tanks as small as 30gal and they need some caves and rock overhangs, as they usually either swim or hang upside down against the rock overhangs. They should be kept with peaceful tank mates and they usually don’t do well with the more aggressive Dottyback/Basslet group. You can keep groups in a tank, and they have spawned in the aquarium, but to maintain a group you need a good size tank, at least 75+gals.

Calloplesiops altivelis-Marine Betta
These are great fish for a reef tank, but will eat small snails, pods, and shrimps. Usually on the shy side; most will hide in rocks and only come out when either looking for food or at feeding time. Small ones can be kept in tanks as small as 30gal, but they do grow and really the smallest tank should be 75gals. They need plenty of hiding spaces, which usually are caves and rock overhangs. They usually don’t like the bright lights so they may hide when the MH are on and come out when the MH go off or at night when the lights go off. They usually get along with all tank mates, just as long as they’re large enough so that they can’t eat them. Aggressive fish will take pieces out of their tails; so you need to be careful mixing angels, tangs and damsels with them. Since they’re shy, you usually need to spot feed them as they will either get chased away from the food by other fish or be frightened from the food entering the tank and hide.



Serranus tigrinus-Harlequin Bass
Serranus baldwini-Lantern Bass
Serranus tortugarum-Chalk Bass
Serranus annularis-Orange Back Bass
Serranus baldwini-Six Dot Bass


This group of fish can be kept in a reef tank but care needs to be place in what you put in the tank with them as they will eat small shrimp and small fish. The Harlequin is the most aggressive of the group, where the Chalk Bass it the most gentle. They need a good sized tank, with 55gals being the smallest though smaller ones can be kept in 30gal tanks. They usually do well together with their own kind and need rocks and hiding spaces in the tank. A good fish for a Fowlr tank.

Sweetlips/Snapper/Grunt

Sweetlips are a group of fish that get very large and needs good size tanks to be kept. Even though they’re large they need peaceful tank mates. They usually aren’t the best eaters, and most of time, need to be fed live food to get them starting to eat. Small sizes for sale at LFS are usually Juv., and when fully grown up, the adults look completely different and in most cases are less colorful. This is a group that really should be left to advance hobbyists or for public aquariums, as most of them die in a short time as they just can’t make the change over from being in the ocean to the home aquarium.

Note: The Clown Sweetlips are fish that show up quite often in LFS and really shouldn’t be purchased as most, if not all, die either from not eating on being stressed out.

editors note, here is a thread between Michael Stern and Anthony Calfo re: a clown sweetlips.

Macolor niger-Macolor Niger Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus picus-Dogface Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus lineatus- Orientalis Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus vittatus-Oriental Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides-Clown Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus diagrammus-Striped Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus albovittatus-Yellow Striped Sweetlips

Macolor niger-Niger Sweetlips


Snappers/Grunts
This is a group of fish that get very large and are very aggressive. They’re usually consistently swimming around the tank looking for food, and will attack anything that they think they can eat. Even though they don’t bother corals, they’re better off in a FO or Fowlr and housed with very aggressive fish. The Rooster fish is one of the snappers that actually can be a problem, as it doesn’t always eat and is somewhat shy and slow moving. Because of this, it can be picked on by other aggressive fish and pushed to the corner of the tank to the point where it will die. You need to make sure that it’s eating and place it with tankmates that aren’t that aggressive.

Lutjanus quinquelineatus-Blue Line Snapper

Lutjanus Kasmira-Blue Line Snapper

Symphorichthys spilurus-Hi Fin Snapper

Lutjanus quinquelineatus-Golden Snapper

Symphorichtys Spilurus-Rooster Fish

Lutjanus sebaeEmporer Snapper

Plectorhinchus polytaenia-Yellow ribbon Snapper


Gnathanodon Speciosus-Golden Traveally(Pilot Fish)
A very hardy fish, which get fairly large. It is an aggressive feeder, and will consistently swim back and forth in the tank; therfore, it needs a large tank. You can keep in groups, as they will actually school together in the tank. Because of their size and the need to swim, they do better in FO with a lot of open room and other aggressive fish.

Anisotremus virginicus-Pork Fish
Very similar to the Pilot fish in that they get large, very active and are aggressive feeders. They also like to school together and do well in groups. Because of their size and the need to swim they do better in FO with a lot of open room and other aggressive fish.

Selene vomer-Lookdown
Lookdowns are a large fish that needs plenty of swimming room and relatively peaceful tank mates, as long as they can’t eat them. They do well in groups but single specimens can be kept. They usually don’t eat right away and depending on the size fish and the size of tank that they’ve been placed in, usually are stressed out and may not eat for quite awhile. Also, because they’re usually placed in small tanks, that can sustain damage to their fins and eyes either from other fish or from hitting pipes or the glass of the tank. This is a fish that really should be kept either by an advanced hobbyist or someone that can give it a large tank where it would be the show piece of the tank.

	MH Metal Halide Lighting, typically used for high intensity light demanding corals such as SPS. Bulbs come in varieties of spectrums (7k, 10k,20k), and intensity (175W, 250W, 400W).