All fish / Labridae

Bird Wrasse

Gomphosus varius

Also known as bird wrasse, green bird wrasse, birdnose wrasse, bird nose wrasse, brown bird wrasse, bird mouth wrasse, birdmouth wrasse, クギベラ, 鸟嘴龙, 鸟嘴濑鱼, 染色尖嘴鱼

A long, fast-swimming wrasse with a stretched, beak-like snout that it uses to pick small invertebrates from crevices. Adult males turn bright blue-green while females and juveniles are brown and white, and keepers enjoy its constant activity and unusual profile.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or one male with females in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, krill, chopped seafood, quality marine pellets and frozen foods fed several times a day

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific and central Pacific, from the Indian Ocean to Hawaii and the Marquesas

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so females can change into males, and it spawns in pairs in open water with drifting pelagic eggs. Captive breeding is very rare and not practical for home aquarists.

Good to know

Needs a long, open tank with a tight lid as it jumps, and it will eat small crustaceans, snails and tubeworms, so it is not reef safe for invertebrates. It can bully small, peaceful fish.