Blackeye Thicklip

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Polynesia, north to southern Japan, and south to Australia. Found on sandy flats near reefs down to 30 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Labridae. Characterized by extremely thick, fleshy lips used to suck prey from the sand. Reaches up to 50-90 cm in the wild, though smaller in aquariums.

Social Behavior: Solitary as adults and highly territorial. They spend daylight hours blowing jets of water into the sand to unearth benthic prey. Can be destructive to tank decor.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Body is sharply divided: the anterior half is light greyish-yellow or pale green, while the posterior half is dark brown to black. Eyes are highlighted by blue markings.

Aquarium Setup: Demands an extremely large tank of at least 1000 liters. The substrate must consist of deep, soft sand to prevent damage to its lips. A heavy, secure lid is mandatory.

Diet and Feeding: Carnivorous. Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and sea urchins. In captivity, accepts krill, chopped shrimp, mussels, clams, and large sinking pellets.

Water Quality: Maintain stable conditions: temperature 24-28 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.020-1.025. Powerful mechanical filtration is necessary as it constantly stirs up sand.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Not Reef Safe. Will prey on small fish, crabs, shrimps, and urchins. House only with large, robust fish like groupers, triggerfish, or large tangs.

Aquarium Breeding: Spawns pelagic eggs in the wild. Captive breeding is undocumented due to massive space requirements.

Risks and Diseases: Hardy species, but lack of sand substrate leads to physical damage of its thick lips, leading to secondary bacterial infections.