Happy Pets

The Wrasses are found in temperate and tropical seas. Like the Angelfishes, they display a wide difference in colour patterns between juvenile and adult fishes. Some Wrasses perform a cleaning service by removing skin parasites from other fishes. In nature, fishes often visit the Cleaner Wrasses‘ reef deliberately to avail themselves of this service. Wrasses often lie on the aquarium floor to rest at night, or bury themselves in the sand; others spin a mucous sleeping bag which is discarded each morning.

Cleaner Wrasse; Cleaner Labrid

Labroides dimidiatus 100 mm 4 in. Indo-Pacific oceans. This fish has both female and male organs and if a dominant male in a group dies, a female fish will develop into a male to take its place. This cleaning fish has its imitators, the most notable being Aspidontus tractus. (These other imitators make use of their mimicry talents to approach other fishes for quite a different purpose, often leaving with a piece of flesh torn from the unsuspecting victim). L, dimidiatus may be clearly recognized by its terminal mouth, whereas the mouth of A. tractus is underslung. Despite its constant attention to other fishes, this fish cannot sustain itself totally on parasites picked from the skin of other fishes, and its diet must be supplemented with finely chopped meaty foods and crumbled flake foods. Breeding: no information available.

Green Wrasse; Moon Wrasse

Thalassoma lunare 300 mm 12 in. Indo-Pacific oceans. A beautiful fish that is constantly on the move (seemingly effortlessly so), being propelled only by the pectoral fins. A hardy fish and not a fussy feeder. It often buries itself in the sand at night. The caudal fin is crescent- shaped and the markings on the pectoral fins distinguish this fish from the very similar, but smaller, T. lutescens. A fairly peaceful fish, but it may worry smaller fishes. Breeding: no information available.

Cuban Hogfish

Bodianus pulchellus 230 mm 9 in. Caribbean. This fish is not difficult to feed, accepting shellfish meat, algae and, after a little training, flake food. Swimming is effected by the pectoral fins only, the caudal fin being used for steering only. Although the mouth is small, this fish will eagerly snap up other small fishes. Breeding: some species of the Labridae group have spawned, but the fry have not survived.

Clown Labrid; Twinspot Wrasse

Coris angulata 1220 mm 48 in. Indo- Pacific oceans. Unfortunately, the young fish soon matures and loses its colour patterns when about 100 mm long. The adult fish is green, and has yellow and purple edges to the dorsal and anal fins. Because it grows quickly, this fish is not suitable for the aquarium for very long. Other smaller species such as C. gaimardi gaimardi, C. gaimardi africana and C. formosa do not grow so fast, and the juvenile forms are also brightly coloured. Breeding: no information available.

Bird Wrasse

Gomphosus coeruleus 270 mm 11 in. Indo-Pacific coastal waters: The adult male is cobalt blue or green with green fins, but females and young males are brownish with brown or reddish spotted scales, and some red colour on the snout. The elongated snout is an excellent tool for picking out food from crevices in rocks and coral. The names G. varius and G. tricolor are sometimes seen, but may have been wrongly conferred on young specimens of G. coeruleus. Also requires algae. Breeding: no information available.

Boxfishes, Cowfishes and Trunkfishes/ Family Ostraciidae

These strange fishes have bony plates covering the body instead of scales; the body is box-shaped and without ventral fins. Their flesh is reportedly poisonous, and some species release toxic substances when dead or when frightened (this often kills the Boxfish too in the confines of the aquarium). They are generally bottom feeders.

Blue Boxfish

Ostracion lentiginosum 200 mm 8 in. Indo-Pacific oceans. The female fish is as illustrated but the male fish may also have a red coloration. When frightened, Box- fishes often fold their caudal fin forward along the side of the body. They may be susceptible to skin infections. Brine Shrimp is often used to accustom Boxfishes to aquarium foods. Breeding: no information available.

Cowfish

Lactoria cornuta 500 mm 20 in. Indo-Pacific oceans. An easily recognized species with two cow- like horns which project forward from the head; two other spines extend from the rear part of the body. Breeding: lays floating eggs.

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This entry was posted on Friday, August 8th, 2008 at 2:34 am and is filed under Birds, Fish, Foods, Pets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.