All fish / Labridae

Harlequin Tuskfish

Choerodon fasciatus

Also known as harlequin tusk, harlequin tuskfish, australian harlequin tuskfish, harlequin wrasse, tuskfish, harlequin tusk wrasse, シチセンベラ, 七带猪齿鱼, 番王

A sturdy wrasse with bold orange-red and white vertical bands edged in blue and bright blue tusk-like teeth. Fish from Australia tend to be the most vividly coloured. Aquarists keep it for its striking looks and hardy, characterful nature in large fish-only or semi-reef systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, one per tank

Diet

Carnivore: shrimp, mussel, clam, squid, krill and other meaty frozen foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 or more years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: southern Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, New Caledonia and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that scatters pelagic eggs. It has very rarely been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

It will eat shrimp, crabs, snails, urchins and other small invertebrates, so it is not reef safe for those, though corals are usually left alone. It may bully small or newly added fish and needs plenty of swimming room and secure rockwork.