Related FAQs: Labropsis Wrasses, Wrasses, Wrasse Selection, Wrasse Behavior, Wrasse Compatibility, Wrasse Feeding, Wrasse Diseases,   Related Articles: The Diversity of Wrasses, Family Labridae, Cook Islands Wrasses,  /The Conscientious Marine Aquarist Tubelip Wrasses, the Genera Diproctachanthus, Labrichthys & Labropsis
Bob Fenner	Labropsis australis

Genus Diproctacanthus:

Diproctacanthus xanthurus (Bleeker 1856), the Yellowtail Tubelip Wrasse. Indo-Australia; Philippines, Palau, Indonesia, to the GBR. To four inches in length. Juveniles are cleaners, adults feed on coral polyps. Juvenile and adult in Pulau Redang, Malaysia, and middle (intermediate age/size, initial phase) individuals in N. & S. Sulawesi.

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Genus Labrichthys: The sole member of this genus is the Tubelip Wrasse, Labrichthys unilineatus (Guichenot 1847). Indo-Pacific, east Africa to Samoa. To seven inches in length in the wild. Below: a juvenile off Heron Island, Australia a female in Pulau Redang, Malaysia, and a four inch male in a collector's aquarium in Fiji. Rarely lives for any time in captivity.

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Genus Labropsis: These "Tubelip" Wrasse are a genus of sometimes good, often times easily lost, very attractive fishes that stay attractively small (the largest to six inches or so). Unfortunately only one of five species are seen on any regular basis. The other three (Allen's Wrasse, Labropsis alleni Randall 1981, the Micronesian Wrasse, Labropsis australis Randall 1981, the Southern Tubelip, the Oriental Wrasse, Labropsis manabei Schmidt 1931, Labropsis micronesica Randall 1981, the Micronesian Wrasse are just as desirable for peaceful fish-only systems. 

Labropsis alleni Randall 1981, Allen's Tubelip Wrasse. Indo-Australian; Philippines, Marshall's, Solomon's, Indonesia. To 10 cm. Fishbase link. Adults likely feed on coral polyps, juveniles are facultative cleaners.  N. & S. Sulawesi pix.

Labropsis australis Randall 1981, the Southern Tubelip. Western Pacific. To four inches or so in length. A juvenile in Fiji, intermediate and adult off Heron Island, GBR, Australia below. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=4868&genusname=Labropsis&speciesname=australis

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Labropsis manabei Schmidt 1931, Northern Tubelip Wrasse. Western Pacific; Southern Japan, Philippines, Indonesia. To 10 cm. Fishbase link.  N. & S. Sulawesi pix.

Labropsis polynesica Randall 1981, Eastern Central Pacific.

Labropsis xanthonata Randall 1981, the Comet, Yellowback or V-Tail Tubelip Wrasse (3). An expensive addition from the South Pacific and I.O. Maldives image of juvenile stage, aquarium image of adult.

 

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