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Reef Fish Guide designation and why
Take it home
Because they reproduce often in the wild, these fish make a very sustainable choice for smaller home aquariums. As long of plenty of hiding spaces are provided and population densities are kept low, these species should do well in the home aquarium.
Distribution
Indo Pacific, Red Sea south to Natal, South Africa and east to the Tuamoto Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south the Lord Howe and the Austral islands. Lined wrasses tend to live in clear costal waters, dense coral habitats on shallow reef crests or slopes. Most often seen in loose groups near seaward reefs among coral branches
Maximum Size
3 - 5 inches (about 10 cm)
Care Requirements
Minimum tank size is 20 gallons for this fish, but slightly larger tanks are suggested as well because Lined wrasses need plenty of places to hide. Lined wrasses are reclusive to the point of not being seen very often, but despite their shyness, they are very sturdy additions to a tank. There is an occasional loss from shipping trauma with the smaller fish, so it is best to look for larger specimens.
Food: Most lined wrasses have a natural diet that consists of minute crustaceans grazed from substrates. In captivity they eat meaty foods, including chopped seafoods, mysid shrimp, and enriched frozen preparations. Suggested feeding is two times a day, but feed less if your tank has productive life rock. Be careful not to overfeed these wrasses because some tend to get “lazy” when fed too well.
Compatibility: Typically lined wrasses are a non-predatory and non-aggressive fish. Sometimes they will behave aggressively toward peaceful wrasses and shy, inoffensive species. It is okay to put several species in the same tank, but fighting may occur if population densities are too high.
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