Redtail Wrasse

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Central Pacific. Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, inhabiting outer coral reef slopes and sheltered sandy zones between 5 and 60 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Labridae. Reaches about 17 cm. Elongated oval and compressed body, small mouth with prominent forward-curved incisors.

Social Behavior: Peaceful and secretive fish. At night or when startled, it buries itself completely under fine sand to hide and rest.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Strong sexual dimorphism. Females are dark brown with small bluish-silver spots and a bright orange-red tail. Males feature an orange head with blue lines and a dark body.

Aquarium Setup: Requires a mature tank of at least 280 liters (75 gallons) with a fine sand bed (0.5-2 mm) at least 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) deep. Strictly avoid sharp sand.

Diet and Feeding: Carnivore. Very difficult to feed initially. Provide live food (copepods) and then stimulate with mysis, brine shrimp, and small frozen crustaceans.

Water Quality: Maintain temperature at 22-28°C (72-82°F), pH 8.0-8.5, specific gravity 1.020-1.025. Extremely stable chemical parameters are vital.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Reef-safe with caution. Does not bother corals, but may prey on small tubeworms, tiny ornamental shrimp, or small snails.

Aquarium Reproduction: Reproduction is not documented in the aquarium. In the wild, they release free pelagic eggs that follow the currents.

Risks and Diseases: Jumps easily if startled before burying. Cover the aquarium perfectly. High mortality rate during the initial acclimation stages.