Goldstripe Wrasse
Halichoeres zeylonicus
Meet the Goldstripe Wrasse from the Indian Ocean, celebrated for its brilliant golden-yellow lateral line. This active, colorful fish is excellent for pest control but needs a deep sandy bed.
Water Temperature
22 - 26 °C
pH Value
8.1 - 8.4
Water type
Marine
Tank level
Bottom and middle
Adult size
20 cm
Minimum tank volume
>= 300 L
Minimum group
>= 1
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Indian Ocean: distributed from the Red Sea and East Africa to Sri Lanka and western Indonesia. It is found in shallow lagoons, reef flats, and seaward reef margins over sand and rubble areas at depths between 1 and 30 meters.
Taxonomy and Morphology: A member of the family Labridae, genus Halichoeres. Features a slender, elongated, and highly aerodynamic body shape. The mouth is equipped with small canine-like teeth suited for capturing benthic micro-invertebrates. Grows to a length of 20.0 cm.
Social Behavior: Diurnal, highly active, and constantly swimming close to the substrate. Spends its daytime foraging. When night falls or when it feels threatened, it burrows headfirst into the sand bed. Mostly solitary in home aquariums.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Named after Sri Lanka (Ceylon), where it is common. Features a bright golden-yellow horizontal stripe along its pinkish-green flanks. Adult terminal males exhibit striking, colorful green and blue patterns, while juveniles have camouflaging stripes.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Aquarium Setup: Requires a spacious tank of at least 300 liters (approx. 80 gallons) to support its swimming needs. It is critical to provide a deep sand bed of at least 5-8 cm (2-3 inches) of fine sand for sleeping. A secure screen lid is highly recommended to prevent jumps.
Diet and Feeding: Active carnivore. Diet should include mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, chopped krill, table shrimp, and high-quality protein-rich sinking pellets. Feed small portions multiple times daily to maintain its high energy levels.
Water Quality: Keep marine parameters stable: temperature 22-26°C (72-78°F), pH 8.1-8.4, and specific gravity 1.020-1.025. Strong water movement and efficient protein skimming are necessary to ensure high oxygenation and clean water.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Reef-safe with corals, but may prey on small ornamental shrimps, small crabs, tubeworms, and snails. Excellent utility fish for controlling common reef pests such as red planaria flatworms and pyramidellid snails.
Aquarium Breeding: Protogynous hermaphrodite. Broadcast spawner, releasing pelagic eggs into the water column. Captive breeding is not successfully documented in home aquariums due to the delicate, microscopic nature of the larval stage.
Risks and Diseases: Skin and mouth infections can occur if the sand bed is too coarse or sharp. High jumping risk. It is normal for the fish to remain buried in the sand for a few days after initial introduction due to stress.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Indian Ocean: distributed from the Red Sea and East Africa to Sri Lanka and western Indonesia. It is found in shallow lagoons, reef flats, and seaward reef margins over sand and rubble areas at depths between 1 and 30 meters.
Origin
Tropical oceans and reefsAfrica and MadagascarSouth and Southeast Asia
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Active
- These wrasses are inquisitive, active, and generally peaceful community fish, although they can sometimes exhibit a semi-aggressive streak. They are constantly on the move, investigating crevices in the live rock for tiny morsels of food. While they do not usually bother corals directly, their constant picking behavior might accidentally irritate some sensitive polyps. Overall, they make a lively and entertaining addition to a moderately aggressive marine community tank.
- Diet
- Carnivore
- This species is strictly carnivorous in its dietary habits. Their diet should consist of a variety of meaty foods including frozen mysis shrimp, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, and high-quality marine flakes or pellets. In the wild, they naturally prey on small benthic invertebrates found among the rocks. Offering multiple small meals a day helps mimic their natural foraging behavior.
- Life expectancy
- 5-8 years
- The gold-stripe wrasse can live for approximately 5 to 8 years in captivity when provided with experienced care and stable water parameters. Because they are active swimmers and can grow up to 20 cm, they require a very large aquarium of at least 1500 liters to support their lifestyle. Keeping their environment stress-free and maintaining a clean, deep sand bed are vital for their longevity.
- Adult size
- 20 cm
- The catalog's scalar value is 20 cm. The FishBase SPECIES table (v25.04 snapshot) source reports a maximum adult measurement of 20 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). The taxonomic record consulted is Halichoeres zeylonicus (v25.04); male or unsexed record. These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
- Sex ratio
- Solitary
- Many species within this genus are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning dominant females can transition into males if needed. It is usually best to keep them singly or as a single male with multiple females if the tank is exceptionally large. Keeping two males in the same tank will almost certainly result in constant territorial disputes and fighting. Observing their intricate social structure and potential color changes during transition is fascinating.
- Feeding frequency
- Twice daily
- Due to their highly active nature and high metabolisms, they require frequent feedings throughout the day. It is highly recommended to feed them at least two to three times daily. Providing smaller, more frequent meals is much better than offering one large meal. This feeding schedule ensures they maintain a healthy body weight and vibrant coloration.
- Bioload
- The bioload produced by this fish is considered moderate. They are very active swimmers and consume a significant amount of food, producing a fair amount of waste in return. Regular water changes and strong biological filtration are necessary to maintain pristine water quality. Protein skimmers are highly recommended for marine setups housing these energetic wrasses.
- Flow
- Strong
- These fish thrive in aquariums with moderate to strong water flow throughout the tank. Good circulation closely mimics their natural reef environments and keeps them active and healthy. Powerheads should be strategically placed to create varied flow patterns mimicking ocean currents. However, ensure there are still some lower flow resting areas within the rockwork for them to retreat to.
- Jump risk
- Yes
- Wrasses in this genus are notorious jumpers, especially when startled, chased, or newly introduced to an aquarium. A tight-fitting lid or a fine mesh screen is absolutely mandatory to keep them safe. Many aquarists have unfortunately lost these beautiful fish due to open-top tanks or small gaps in the canopy. The jump risk remains exceptionally high throughout their entire lifespan in captivity.
- Reproduction
- Protogynous hermaphrodite
- Breeding these wrasses in a home aquarium is extremely rare and very difficult to achieve. They are pelagic spawners, naturally releasing their eggs and sperm directly into the water column. The resulting larvae require specialized microscopic foods and undergo a long, vulnerable planktonic stage. Therefore, almost all specimens available in the aquarium trade are wild-caught rather than captive-bred.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- Verify
- The Halichoeres zeylonicus wrasses are generally peaceful but can be aggressive towards smaller invertebrates like ornamental shrimp and feather dusters. They are considered reef safe with caution, as they will hunt for small prey. They usually coexist well with other similarly sized, semi-aggressive fish but might bully much smaller, more docile species. It is crucial not to keep them with large, aggressive predators that might see them as a snack.
- Tank level
- Middle/Bottom
- They are highly active fish that will enthusiastically utilize all levels of the aquarium. However, they spend a significant amount of time hovering near the rockwork and sandy substrate actively looking for food. They require a deep sand bed of at least two to three inches to bury themselves in at night or when frightened. During the daytime, they will constantly patrol the middle and bottom sections of the tank.
Scientific Parameters & Models
FishBase
Window to the official scientific data of the species
Data synced on: 06/15/2026
- Trophic level
- 3.5 ± 0.5 se
- Resilience
- High (less than 15 months)
- Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50)
- 0.5
- Bayesian Length-Weight
- a = 0.01, b = 3.14
- VulnerabilityLow vulnerability (10 / 100)
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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