Leopard Wrasse
Macropharyngodon bipartitus
The Fragile Sleeper (5 inches / 13 cm). Stunningly patterned, but possesses a dismal survival rate in home aquariums due to starvation and shipping stress.
Water Temperature
24 - 27 °C
pH Value
8.1 - 8.4
Water type
Freshwater
Tank level
Bottom and middle
Adult size
13 cm
Minimum tank volume
>= 180 L
Minimum group
>= 1
GH
15 - 30 dGH
KH
7 - 15 dKH
TDS
295 - 600 ppm
Conductivity
461 - 938 uS/cm
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Western Indian Ocean (from the Red Sea to South Africa and the Maldives). Lives in coastal coral reefs rich in crevices and deep coral sand, where the current is moderate.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus). Wrasse fish (Labridae). Compressed and elongated body; possesses protruding teeth to crush the tiny carapaces of crustaceans.
Social Behavior: Perpetual motion swimmer, constantly patrols live rocks. Peaceful, almost shy. At night (or if frightened) it performs a spectacular headfirst dive, burying itself completely in the sand to sleep.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Protogynous hermaphrodite. Females are orange-red covered with a gorgeous white reticulated/spotted pattern (like a glowing leopard). Dominant males change sex and livery: they become red/green with geometric bands and a black spot on the fin.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Aquarium Setup: Marine Reef (minimum 120 cm / 48 inches / 75G). Absolute Requirement: a bed of sugar-sized coral sand, AT LEAST 6-8 cm (2.5-3 inches) thick in large open areas (without obstacles) to allow its life-saving night dive.
Diet and Feeding: Extreme carnivore (Micro-predator). Huge challenge: in nature it only eats tiny foraminifera, gastropods and copepods torn from live rocks. You need to provide mature tanks packed with copepods and train it (months of work) to eat mysis and frozen lobster eggs.
Water Quality: Excellent oxygenation and crystal clear reef water. Very sensitive to salinity variations. They tolerate copper compounds, typically used to cure ich, very poorly.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: 100% Reef Safe. Totally ignores corals. However, fast and voracious fish (like aggressive damselfish or large tangs) will steal its food in the water column starving it to death. Pair with quiet or slow fish.
Aquarium Breeding: Totally absent. Born all females, in the absence of a male the largest will undergo a sex and livery transition (in a few months) but they will never spawn in closed systems.
Risks and Diseases: Starvation (Fading) or Broken Snout. Risk 1: They starve in 70% of cases within a month if the tank is not boiling with live benthos. Risk 2: If the sand is too shallow or coarse, in an attempt to dive into it at 20 mph they will fatally shatter their jaw.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Western Indian Ocean (from the Red Sea to South Africa and the Maldives). Lives in coastal coral reefs rich in crevices and deep coral sand, where the current is moderate.
Origin
Tropical oceans and reefsAfrica and MadagascarSouth and Southeast Asia
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- They are exceptionally peaceful and inquisitive. They spend their days constantly hunting for food. They are delicate and easily stressed by aggression.
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Macropharyngodon bipartitus is a specialized micro-predator. They require a mature tank with live copepods. Supplement with high-quality frozen mysis shrimp.
- Life expectancy
- 5-8 years
- In captivity, Macropharyngodon bipartitus typically has a lifespan ranging from 5 to 8 years when housed in a stable, mature marine aquarium. Its longevity is heavily dependent on the success of the initial acclimation phase and the constant availability of live microfauna for sustenance. Maintaining stable water parameters and a tank free of aggressive tankmates helps reduce stress, thereby extending the life of this delicate fish.
- Adult size
- 13 cm
- The catalog's scalar value is 13 cm. The FishBase SPECIES table (v25.04 snapshot) source reports a maximum adult measurement of 13 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). The taxonomic record consulted is Macropharyngodon bipartitus (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
- Flexible
- Keep one male with several females. Multiple males will fight to the death. Single females can be kept successfully.
- Feeding frequency
- Twice daily
- Feed them at least three times daily. Their high metabolism demands constant nourishment. Automated feeders can be very helpful.
- Bioload
- Medium
- Macropharyngodon bipartitus contributes a moderate bioload. Their frequent feeding creates organic waste. A strong protein skimmer is necessary for water quality.
- Flow
- Stagnant
- They thrive in moderate to strong water flow. Wavemakers encourage their natural foraging behaviors. Good circulation keeps the water oxygenated.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- Breeding them in captivity is virtually impossible. They are pelagic spawners. Rearing the microscopic fry requires advanced aquaculture facilities.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- They are completely reef-safe and peaceful. Keep them with other docile reef fish. Do not keep them with aggressive species.
- Tank level
- Middle/Bottom
- Macropharyngodon bipartitus utilizes all levels during the day. They require a deep sand bed for sleeping. They dive into the sand when stressed.
Scientific Parameters & Models
FishBase
Window to the official scientific data of the species
Data synced on: 06/15/2026
- Trophic level
- 3.5 ± 0.37 se
- Resilience
- High (less than 15 months)
- Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50)
- 0.5002
- Bayesian Length-Weight
- a = 0.00977, b = 3.07
- VulnerabilityLow vulnerability (10 / 100)
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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