Choat's Leopard Wrasse

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to eastern Australia, particularly the southern Great Barrier Reef. Found in shallow, protected lagoons and sandy areas adjacent to coral reefs.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Part of the Labridae family, genus Macropharyngodon. Features an oval-shaped, compressed body with strong pharyngeal teeth. Grows up to 8 cm (3.1 inches) in length.

Social Behavior: Peaceful and timid. Highly reef-dependent, spends its day searching for prey on rocks and substrate. Instantly buries into the sand at night or when threatened.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Livery consists of irregular orange-red blotches over a white background, with blue-green markings on the head. Terminal males exhibit brighter facial patterns.

Aquarium Setup: Minimum tank size of 200 liters (50 gallons). A deep sand bed of fine, non-sharp substrate (5-8 cm / 2-3 inches deep) is mandatory. A secure screen cover is essential.

Diet and Feeding: Obligate micro-carnivore. Constantly feeds on copepods and amphipods from live rock. Must be acclimated to fine frozen foods (mysis, cyclops) fed multiple times daily.

Water Quality: Demands stable parameters: temperature 24-27°C (75-81°F), pH 8.1-8.4, specific gravity 1.020-1.025, and KH 8-12. Highly sensitive to copper medications.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Ideal for peaceful reef aquariums. Do not house with aggressive or fast-swimming species. Peaceful towards other non-wrasse tankmates.

Aquarium Breeding: Not recorded in home aquaria. In the wild, they spawn pelagic eggs in groups led by a dominant male.

Risks and Diseases: High mortality rates during transport and acclimation. Prone to starvation in immature tanks. Extremely sensitive to stress-related skin parasites.