Senorita Wrasse, keeping  10/5/06
Hey Crew, I just found your site while looking for some solutions to a problem I am having a with the species of fish I am keeping in my tanks.
<Ahh, one of three labrid species found off our coast (BobF, in S. Cal.>
Since this fish is generally not used by aquarists (I think its because they don't have flashy coloring like other wrasses)
<This and the fact that the species isn't tropical... and the vast majority of aquarist systems are...>
I have not had much success in finding any good information on them.  First, if you have any background info you happen to know about this species, Oxyjulis californica, I would really appreciate anything that you have.
<Have maintained them for times... years back, investigating their role as sources, non-obligate cleaners of caligoids...>
Second, I have 25 of these fish individually housed in 10 gallon aquaria and the fish range in size from 6 to 10 inches.
<Mmm, unless there are compelling reasons, would keep all in larger quarters... together. Social species, needs room and what goes with it>
  I have kept the smaller sized fish in these tanks for months at a time with no problem, but I received a new shipment a few weeks ago and while they were fine for the first week many of the larger fish have begun to sicken and die recently.
<Could be a few things at play/fault here... improper prep., shipping... parasite load... Seasonally they just don't ship "worth a darn"... particularly during annual weather changes>
  I currently don't have any hides in the tank and that may be an issue,
<Mmm, maybe>
but I am more inclined to believe that the tanks are too small.
<Me too>
Could that be the issue?
<Definitely yes>
I have tested NO2, NO3 and NH3 levels and they are all within normal bounds, but the fish are often lethargic, some won't eat and fins appear to be rotting away while blood spots appear on their sides and near the base of the fins.
<Environment... likely coupled with shipping/holding stress>
I hope you can help, this problem is quite distressing and I don't want to lose any more of these fish.
Thanks,
Matt
<Larger, chilled systems... would be/is my first and best suggestion here. Bob Fenner>

Marine Wrasse, Pseudocheilinops ataenia   12/10/05
Do you know anything about the husbandry of Pseudocheilinops ataenia as I have one currently in quarantine? 
<Well first and foremost I must say that it is prudent that you ask this sort of question or research thoroughly before purchase of an animal, as cliché as this may sound, “If you don’t know what it is, you don’t know how to take care of it.” Though I can’t blame you too much this fish is quite uncommon in the aquarium trade. As you allude to below it has a lot in common with the six-line wrasse. Feeding mostly upon microfauna or zooplankton, I would offer meaty fair such as krill and Mysis shrimp. It is slightly more reclusive than the more common six-line.>
All I could find out about this fish is in Kuiter's book on wrasses (pg 49). In particular I am interested in the fish's disposition: scrappy like the 6-line or shy because of more diminutive size. Thanks for your help?
<Hope this has been helpful.>
Myles Goldfein 
<Adam J.> 

Pseudocheilinus ataenia/Pelvic-Spot Wrasse - 09/23/05
Hello,
I have the opportunity to pick up this fish, problem is that I can find absolutely no info on it other then that it stays small.
<<Next time give fishbase.org a try>>
It seems Scott Michael has kept one and I have no idea who else. If you have any info on it or might be able to point me that would be great.
Thanx
Scott
<<I was able to find this quite easily:
"Mainly found in still coastal waters, where brittle corals grow high. Occurs in small groups that feed actively among the lower and dead parts of the corals with coralline algae. Easily overlooked because of its small size. Length to 6.5 cm, but usually much smaller (Ref. 48636). A secretive species. Feeds on amphipods and other small invertebrates. Rarely found in the aquarium trade."
Only takes a bit of "Googling" on the Net.  I saw what looked like quite a bit of info on this fish.  Regards, EricR>>

Re: P. ataenia - 12/11/2005
Dear Adam,
<Hello again Myles.>
Thanks for your quick response!  
<We try our best, you’re welcome.>
At this point I am trying to decide which aquarium to place my P. ataenia in once the quarantine period is over.  If he is not prone to picking on small inoffensive fish I am inclined to put him in a small 30g tank with my firefish (N. decora), shrimp goby (A. guttata). and pistol shrimp.  If the P. ataenia is too aggressive for this set up I have a 40g tank with a yellow watchman (C. cinctus), pistol shrimp, large Banggai cardinal (P. kauderni) and a sunburst Anthias (S. latus).  The Anthias while not the dominant fish is the most ornery-spending part of every day trying to intimidate the goby.  A third option is a 40g with an adult radiant wrasse (H. iridis) and a mated pair of coral banded shrimp who I don't completely trust with newly introduced smaller fish.
<The first two options are okay, not the last. I wouldn’t go mixing the wrasses.>
If none of these would work, I have a 180g tank but it contains a small possum wrasse (W. triocellata) whom I think is too similar.  
<In this size tank you would probably be okay mixing these two animals.>
I'm sure you hate questions like this because every fish and every aquarium is different but thank you for your time and help!
<You are welcome.>
Myles Goldfein
<Adam J.>

Your Fairy and Flasher Wrasses CD... fantastic!  9/13/05
Hiroyuki, thank you so much for sending along your work... I look forward to
its print release. Will comb through for suggested changes. Was not able to
"lift" images for posting on WWM, but will gladly help you promote this
volume when it is released. Doomo, Bob Fenner

Question about Creole Wrasse Clepticus parrae
Dear Bob,
<Jake>
I recently read your online article about Labridae wrasse family.  In it you briefly mention the Creole Wrasse.  I have seen these many times in the wild and think they are a beautiful and interesting fish.
<Yes, and only infrequently seen in captivity... I've noticed them only a handful of times in public aquariums and the trade>
Especially due to their schooling behavior.  A friend of mine has a 400G reef and we have been trying to get our hands on a  school of these guys for his tank.  In my observations diving the males seldom reach 1 ft and most are around 8 inches with the females significantly smaller (~5 inches or so and much less full bodied).
<Our observations agree>
  All my observations of them are from reefs in the Turks and Caicos Island chain.    In your article a brief paragraph is devoted to the Creole wrasse that accompanies its picture.  In the paragraph you state that it "(mis)enters" the trade and that most pass away in shipping.  I get the feeling that you feel that these are ill suited for aquarium life.  Have you had any first hand experience with these fish?
<No first hand... and to be clear, it is not that the species is ill-suited, but rather the current practices in handling and shipping it are inappropriate>
I have found few people that have kept them, but those I have contacted say they are large for the average reef but that they are hardy and eat almost any prepared food.  One person contacted had kept them in a 300g tank and said they formed a polarized tight school in captivity and were wonderful to watch.
<Neat>
Considering the size of the tank (400G) that these are meant for and the much smaller size of the females would you think that these might be a good choice for a unique schooling fish in this large tank?
<Yes, particularly if you can either go collect them yourself, or convince a diver/collector (there are some that deal, sell direct to the public) to pack them... and this is very different than virtually all marines... in one large double-bag per box, placing more than one individual (number will vary depending on size) together>
Possibly one male with 6 or so females?
<Sounds good>
I have a contact at a local pet shop who was looking for these for me and has acquired a couple of 2.5 inch juveniles direct from a diver in the Caribbean he purchases from.  
<Perfect>
They seem to be in remarkable health, very active and alert.  I and my friend were planning on picking them up tonight and acclimating them to his sparsely populated reef and acquiring 4 more juveniles and a "Super male" for his tank as my contact is able to acquire them.  Have you had any experience with these or know of any experiences with these that might be helpful to our keeping this fish or possibly knowledge that might discourage their purchase?
<It has been many years since I dive-collected in the tropical West Atlantic and had first hand contact with folks in the trade there (John Noyes, Dave Vatter...), but there are many fine people in the industry you might try contacting re information. Forrest Young (Dynasty Marine), the folks at ORA... through the Net>
Thanks you very much for any info you might be able to provide
Regards
Jacob Maki
<Sounds like a very interesting project. Do report back your experiences, please. Bob Fenner>
Thanks so much for the response.  I will let you know how things proceed.
Kind Regards
Jake
<Thank you. Bob Fenner>

Adding wrasse quickly?
Hello Bob:
<< Blundell here. >>
     First of all thanks for all the great info. on this website.
Has made life much easier on both my fishes and myself.
In the book "The C. Aquarist" you recommend that Wrasses be acclimated quickly and introduced to the tank. << I'll bet he is referring to adding them quickly in terms of not floating them in small bags for long periods of time.  They are very active swimming fish.  But I don't actually remember reading that. >>
What kind of time frame are you talking here.
I normally go three weeks in a hospital tank.
<< Good move, Bob would do the same (so I believe). >>
Thanks for your time and dedication to the hobby
C. Kluesener
Florence KY.
<<  Blundell  >>

Is it Possible?? Night Night! 
>Hey guys, hope you got my pictures and enjoyed them. I have a quick question for ya. Is it normal for wrasses to bury themselves at night? 
>>Um, yes. Part and parcel of BEING a wrasse, my friend. This is the part where I quip, "You'd better watch your wrasse!" 
>My lunar wrasse does it and was just curious what's going on. 
>>It's called tucking in for bed. 
>You guys should have a hotline lol, you help a lot in this strange yet intriguing hobby. Well thanks for your time. Jeffery 
>>A hotline, too? Then I demand a 30% raise! But first (since I'm mathematically declined), I need help figuring out to get 30% of nothing.. Hhmm.. is there such a thing as quantum mathematics? Marina

A lonely possum..??
Hi,
  I have a question about my possum wrasse.  I have had him for about six months.  He eats wonderfully but he stays hid about 75% of the time.  There is so little information on this species, it seems almost impossible to find any
information about them.  I did see on your website that they are a secretive fish, but the thing I don't understand is that a friend of mine has 3 in her tank that were all added at the same time and they are so active, always out
swimming together.  So I am interested in buying 2 more to put in my tank because this made me think that mine may just be lonely!!  My question is, is this a good idea?  Would it be safe to add 2 new ones with mine already being
established in my tank because I remember my LFS telling me when I bought him that if I wanted more than one I would have to add them all at the same time. Is there any truth to this or can I get my little one some buddies??  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  
Thanks,
Ashley Whittington  
<The only times I've seen genus Wetmorella wrasses in the wild they have been solitary. But like your statement, I have seen them in captivity in small groups getting along and seeming more outgoing. I do think you'll be fine by adding (an) others if you'd like at this time. Bob Fenner>

Vanishing Wrasse (12/23/2003)
Hi, I went to the local marine aquarium shop and asked them what it was they said it could be water fleas or copepods (either I'm not worried about) <did they actually look at one?> They gave me a green wrasse to solve the problem <What problem? Copepods are a blessing--great live food.> but when I put he wrasse in <No quarantine??> and turned the light on it was no where to be seen I'm not sure if it's in live rock or has dug under the sand, because that's what I have heard, it's been in hiding for 3 days now, what has happened has it jumped out or is this normal?????, please help???
thank you from Ryan,  please reply ASAP <naturally>
<Ryan, my first bit of advice is to never put a fish into your tank without proper quarantine. Search WWM for info. Your Green Wrasse is Halichoeres chloropterus, no? If so, it is a somewhat skittish fish that will jump through any hole big enough to get through. Cover your tank. I lost one that way--found the "reef jerky" remnant on the floor a couple of months later when I moved the tank. They do bury themselves in the sand at night. They also will often go into hiding for several days after being put in the tank. Those copepods should lure him out to eat in the next couple of days. Keep us posted, Steve Allen>

Green leaf Wrasse
Dear Mr. Fenner, I was looking on your Wrasse FAQ's about a person that was looking for info on the Green leaf Wrasse.  I have been doing a lot of research on this species since I acquired one two weeks ago from a LFS that
was selling it for 17 dollars.  I found that it looks just like the Grinch that stole Christmas.  Its scientific name is Novaculichthys macrolepidotus, and is obviously in the same family as the Dragon Wrasse.
<Yes, even the same genus>
 They supposedly get to 10 inches and will eat many inverts.  Just thought you might be interested.  Kim
<Thank you for this input. Will post for others edification. Bob Fenner>

Halichoeres chloropterus Revisited
<Hello! Ryan Bowen with you>
I was just wondering when the green wrasse gets bigger will it be destructive in my community aquarium, will it create havoc with the live rock and coral (digging under it) should I keep or give it back, is it beneficial or..... what.....???????????
<Many people consider Halichoeres chloropterus a little intense for a reef...With this in mind, it's truly up to you.  Personality of the "proposed evictee" is also a factor.  You'll just need to watch, supervise, decide.  Best of luck! Ryan>

More on Green Wrasses
I was just wondering when the green wrasse gets bigger will it be destructive in my community aquarium, will it create havoc with the live rock and coral (digging under it) should I keep or give it back, is it beneficial or..... what.....???????????
<Now you know why its a good idea to learn about something before you buy it. you really ought to buy Scott W. Michaels' Marine Fishes handbook--very useful. Assuming once again that we are talking about Halichoeres chloroptus (scientific names are best to avoid confusion), you should not have any big problems. They are beautiful and generally peaceful (except to similar wrasses). They bury themselves in the sand at night or if startled (if they don't jump out of the tank first). They are not active diggers so it will not undermine your rockwork. May nip at corals. If you like 'I'm, keep 'I'm. Just be sure to not add any more fish until he has proven himself healthy over a month or more. I strongly recommend quarantine for all new fish--read about it on WWM. You will also need to plan your future stocking to be compatible with this wrasse.>

Sex Changes in Wrasses 7/11/03
Hi, I hope all's well.
<cheers>
I may have a dilemma. A little over a year ago, I bought two female Rainbow (Paddlefin) Wrasses. A few months later, one transformed into a male which was very exciting.
<yes... the old "reverse Michael Jackson">
Recently, the second female also appears to be changing to a male. Is this possible or is it my imagination?
<it is possible>
If it is, will the two males be able to coexist in the same aquarium since they've been together for a while?
Thanks,  Rich Aylward
<whether either or both are functional males or not... I suspect they are more likely to continue to get along just fine. No worries... but separate if you must.>

- Wrasse Reflections -
Hello,
<Hello to you, JasonC here...>
My Halichoeres chrysus wrasse has recently been aggressively displaying at his reflection in the glass of my 75 gal, and the other night he attacked the glass so hard I think he stunned himself. <Wouldn't be surprised... I once had a Huma Huma trigger who smashed out a tooth attacking himself... could hear it across the living room.> For about 5 minutes he swam around as if the back half of his body wasn't functioning.  He seemed to mostly recover from that within an hour or two, but the next day he had a few spots of ich on his tail and fins.  I think the stress from being stunned left him susceptible. <There are other possibilities... like perhaps the stress that started this all off... in any case would give this some time to go away on its own before I did anything drastic.> I want to place him in a hospital tank and let my tank go fallow, but I already have a healthy new Pearlscale butterfly in my 15 gal. QT (been there one week).  Would it be adequate to dip the wrasse in some medicated bath (what would you recommend?) and then put him in QT with the butterfly, or would he likely carry the parasites with him? <Uhh... both. A freshwater dip would be good, and if it were still carrying anything that 'thing' would go into quarantine with the fish.> Would I be better off buying/setting up a second QT/hospital tank? <If this becomes a true issue, then yes, I would quarantine the fish individually - you don't need a fancy filter, an air-lift sponge filter will do. But again, a 'few' spots of ich don't really merit running your tank fallow unless the problem has grown to epidemic proportions. Many fish show these types of spots briefly when stressed and they go away just as quickly, never to return... that is until the next big stress event. I would keep the fish under close observation - look for rapid gilling, other signs that it may not be winning the battle against the parasites. In the mean time, it wouldn't hurt to get a second tank ready in case you do need to use it.>
Thanks very much, John H.
<Cheers, J -- >

- Four-line Wrasse Coloration - <Larabicus, not Pseudocheilinus>
Hello there!
<Good morning, JasonC here...>
I've been reading the FAQs and find them to be extremely informative. <I'm glad you find them useful.> Thank you!
I have a question though on the Red Sea 4 Line... I got a specimen about 2 weeks back and he seems to be adjusting very well, and started taking Mysis and Flake about a week ago.  Problem is, he / she is losing the original colouration, i.e. darkening from the tail to the front.  The last 1/4 of the fish is now uniformly deep blue instead of the deep blue with metallic blue lines... I've tried searching the net but couldn't find any definitive photos on male / female / Juvenile colouration of the wrasse. <I'm not aware of any differences.>
Is the fish stressed? <That would be my guess... give it some more time to get used to the new conditions.> Or is it changing from Juvenile to adult or Male to Female or vice versa?  
PS: I'm guessing its not a juvenile because its never performed any cleaning for the fish in my tank. <And even then, that behavior is more likely to be seen in the wild than in captivity.>
Thanks
<Cheers, J -- >

- Re: Red Sea 4 Line Wrasse -
Hello again,
<Hi...>
Thanks for the Swift reply!
<My pleasure.>
I have checked out some images at Fishbase (didn't know it existed until I read the Anthias FAQs) and found that there are differences btw Male, Female and Juvenile 4 Lines.
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.cfm?ID=25788
<My bad, I was thinking of the Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia... my apologies.>
Unfortunately the male and female don't look anywhere as gorgeous as the juvenile... Now I feel a little cheated for paying so much for that fish! =) <Something else you should know... these become corallivores once they become adults.>
Thanks
<Cheers, and sorry again for not doing my research. J -- >

Green Bird Wrasses
>Hey Guys!
>>And a gal says hello, Marina here.
>Just a quick question about my "mated" pair of green bird wrasses. About 7 months ago we bought this mated pair. The LFS rep told us they were juveniles. One was the white with black spots and Orange beak, the other had a green-bluish tint but bottom was a cream white color and the beak was blue, but a brownish blue. They are about 4 1/2 inches long. We have noticed that in the past 2-3 months these two have grown to look more and more alike.
>>Yes, I was wondering how one acquires a mated pair of juveniles...
>They both look like females. The ones tint is still a little different but anyone that doesn't know them thinks they look exactly the same. I can always tell the difference and the one that started out with the bluish tint has a V in the back of his tail where the original blackbird has a straight tail.
>>Take a look here, see if this helps with I.D.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/gomphosus/
>They get along beautifully, even lay together during their napping periods.
>>I need my own "bird" to lay peacefully with...Hhhmmm. I can't predict that they'll change, but one must be wary.
>Is it possible that we have two females? And if so, will they continue to get along.
>>I suppose it's possible, though I *thought* that wrasses begin life looking like females, and as males mature, and especially if they become dominant, their appearance changes dramatically, but I may have it turned round.
>These are some of my favorite fish! I have a green bird in another tank that is about 8-9 inches and enjoy him immensely! I recommend anyone with a large enough tank to make this addition.
>>Indeed, the wrasses as a family are among the most amazing fish I've seen.  It's good to see that you're aware of their housing requirements.
>Thanks for your information and thanks for your website. You have answered every question I could possibly ask and just enjoy reading all your FAQS.
>>You're very welcome, and we're glad that the FAQ's are so helpful, Jayne.  Marina

- Wrasse with no Name -
hi guys,
<Greetings, JasonC here...>
I made an impulse buy last weekend, and bought a pink faced wrasse, about 3 1/2" in size. <I am not at all familiar with this common name...> it's a beautiful and active fish, and seems to be dealing well with life in the QT.  I'm looking for info about it, and not finding much in books and on-line.  I think it's of the family Labridae, not certain though. <Well... if it's a wrasse, it's a Labridae, that's the family name and also one of the world's largest families of fishes. I would highly suggest that you go through our pages on WetWebMedia and try to locate your wrasse there - start here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/index.htm >
my tank is a 45 gallon tall FO, with hermits and snails for cleaners.  it ate one small hermit crab that was in the QT with it, I'm assuming this means the rest of the crabs are going to be on its menu in the main. <Seems a good assumption.> do the big ones have a chance of surviving, or are they just going to be snacks for the wrasse? <Time will tell.>
the only other fish in the main are a juvenile (2 1/2") maroon clown and a neon goby.  I'm hoping that the clown being well established and the wrasse being much larger will allow the two of them to get along. the goby has always been pretty much ignored by other fish, so I'm not too worried about it.    
the wrasse seems healthy, but has shown some scratching behavior with the decorations and substrate. <Doesn't sound like much of a quarantine - this system should not have any substrate and should be decorated with only pieces of PVC - things that won't react with anything you might try to treat the fish with.> the limited amount of literature I've found so far suggests this is normal for a wrasse and not necessarily an indication of parasite infection. <I wouldn't be that optimistic.> is this a correct opinion, or should I be thinking about copper? <I think you should find some other literature... start here:  
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasiti.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm >
the QT params are fine, and it doesn't seem to be having any problems breathing or have any obvious physical signs of ich or velvet. <Keep your eyes open - Oodinium and Ich can both rear their ugly head before you see spots.> its behavior is very different from other fish I've had; it alternates between crawling into corners of the decor and staying in an almost comatose state in strange positions to vigorous swimming and stirring up the substrate.  
I've heard these fish are jumpers, and am wondering if I should be considering sealing off the gaps in the back of the cover, leaving enough room for the hang on skimmer and overflow. <I would.> if I should be worrying about that (still have time to do that while it's in QT), what would be the best way to close off the gaps in the cover? <Some covers come with a piece of plastic trim which can be cut to shape - I would do this.>
any advice you could give me would be appreciated.  it was an impulse buy, but seems like a very interesting
fish and I'm hoping we can provide a good home for it. <My advise to you is to avoid impulse buys in the future.>
thanks,
Pete
<Cheers, J -- >

Wrasse ID
Hello.
<Hi there! Scott F. with you>
A buddy of mine gave me a wrasse last night. he has had it for about 2 months and supposedly the LFS said it was still a juvenile when he bought it (its only about 1 inch in length). They told him it was a neon wrasse and would get to be 3-4 inches. It is black, with purple stripes down the sides, however, when I put him in my Qt tank the stripes looked more blue. I was looking at your site and he looks similar to the neon wrasses, but also looks like the chiseltooth wrasse. I know this is hard to call without having a picture.
<I'm thinking about a bunch of species from your descriptions...really, almost impossible to identify without a photo...I hope that it's not a Larabicus quadrilineatus, which is an obligate corallivore...I hope that's not the one! On the other hand, the common name "Neon Wrasse" also applies to a Halichoeres species, most of which are good, hardy fishes...Do try to send a pic if you can>
Also when I put him in my qt he laid on the bottom, and didn't move around much. I didn't want to stress him out more by constantly examining him, but I peeped in this morning and couldn't find him. I'm at work now, so I won't be able to check to see if he's still alive until this evening. Is laying at the bottom common during acclimation?
<Lots of wrasses and other fishes display this type of behaviour in a quarantine tank. Just make sure that he gets up and swims once in a while...>
I did acclimate him for about an hour (using MelaFix just in case) and gave him a fresh water dip. Thanks for your helping ear...Mike
<My pleasure! Sorry I couldn't make a positive ID on the wrasse... Take care! Regards, Scott F>

Senorita wrasse availability
WWM Crew,
Is it a reasonable assumption that Senorita wrasses (Oxyjulis californica) are not a species that are available to the marine hobbyist?
Bob Jones
<Hmm... one of the three species of labrids found off our (California) coast. Well, they are collected by folks here for the Public Aquarium biz... you might ask your dealer... or maybe you will want to call some of the marine livestock wholesalers in the Los Angeles area (Quality Marine would be my first try) if they can put you in touch with specimens or the collectors.
Bob Fenner>

Re: wrasse behavior
I purchased a six line wrasse three days ago.  He looked great in the take at the store and seemed to be acting "normal."  I brought him home, acclimated him, did a freshwater dip with Methylene blue and placed him in a quarantine tank.  <<Excellent!!!>> I usually only place pvc pipe pieces in the tank but I had gotten some free artificial plants with my last jug of instant ocean mix and so I placed the plants in the tank.  He looked great and fed well for the first day but yesterday, I noticed he was situated completely vertically in one of the plants and seemed to have a mucous like substance that was clear/white in color between him and the plant.  <<Fish will shed their natural slime under stress. Possibly what you are seeing? See here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fbodyslimfsh.htm  Watch closely for other symptoms. BTW, I put a six line thought qt recently with these same plants. S/he did exactly the same thing (laying motionless in a vertical position) very bizarre acting species, you will get a kick out of it :)>> I removed the plant and he did it again with the other plant.  This is my first wrasse and I know they are supposed to be secretive but I am not sure what is going on.  I was wondering if you could give me some insight and recommendations.  Another unrelated question,  can you suggest a good trap for catching a crab and where can I purchase it?  <<See here for trapping crabs http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/crabs/swcrabfaqs2.htm, also many commercial traps on the market. Do a google search on the topic.>> Thanks so much for your time and insight, Abby <<my pleasure Don>>

Wraskally, Hassling Wrasse! (Pt. 2)
Scott,
Thanks for your advice.  I will move the wraskally wrasse as soon as I can catch it.  It hides so well and swims so fast, I've never had a more difficult time catching a fish! Rochelle
<Yep- I'll bet that you did! Those wrasses can be among the most difficult fishes to catch. I'm afraid I don't have any top-secret tips on this, short of having a lot of towels, a huge amount of patience, and a really good net! Go get him! Regards,  Scott F.>

Re: green leaf wrasse
I am looking for info on a green leaf wrasse. The pet store has one and the owner doesn't know enough about it. How big does it get ? what size tank does it need?, what does it eat? and how aggressive is it? I can't find any info on it on WWM or fish base ( since  it has changed it is hard to navigate). Thanks in advance for your help.
<Mmm, well, I put the term "green leaf wrasse" in at fishbase.org, and they haven't heard of such an animal either. Do you have another name, common or scientific, perhaps a photo?
Bob Fenner>

Re: wrasse ID
Hey Craig,
I bought a 1.5 in. wrasse  (in QT for 2 weeks now) that is yellow with 3 spots (black) on its dorsal fin and another spot by the tail. Some book says it is a banana wrasse and it's good for beginner and some says it is a yellow coris wrasse (difficult fish). What do you think it is? Still no luck with cleaner shrimp surviving in  my main tank (LOL) just to let you know. Thanks........Jun
<Hi Jun, Try these:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/index.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/coris/index.htm
This should help you out. Craig>

Wrasse Sex Change
Hi!
<Hi there-Scott F. here today>
I've purchased a small female bird wrasse and am hoping she will turn into a he. <smile> Is there anything that I can do to help her along? Please advise. Thanks! Linda
<Well, Linda, in the wild, sex change is determined by social factors, among other things, in these animals. With an individual specimen in your tank, there is not much that you can do to influence this process. Mother nature has the control over that! If your wrasse does start turning green-well- then Mother Nature has granted your wish! In the meantime, just give the fish a good home with proper care, and she/he will live a happy, healthy life!>

Identifying Wrasse
I was given a fish 2 years ago when I started my salt water tank. I was told it was a lunare wrasse (come to find out by the pic. it definitely is not one). It eats crustaceans, coral, brittle stars, soft stars , and other critters in the tank and is very territorial.
On it's face it has pink and blue swirls, and the body has pink and blue stripes, on the top fin toward the front is one small black spot and there is another in the edge of the tail by the body. I think it is about 2 1/2 years old so it should be an adult. We have been having trouble in our tank and wanted to have a reef tank but I think this one might have to go but I need to identify it first. We also have in the tank a couple of varieties of damsels and one percula clown. Can you please help?
<Jump over to this page and use the links from there. Lots of photos of Wrasses and more links. A huge family. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/index.htm 
Craig> 

Disappearing Christmas Wrasse
I also bought a small Christmas Wrasse and he always seems to disappear about 4 pm. Really weird and then I don't see him to the next day. Any info on him would be appreciated.
<This is rather well documented. Many wrasses bury themselves at night for protection. You can begin further investigation/education here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/index.htm -Steven Pro>