All fish / Labridae

Pastel-green wrasse

Halichoeres chloropterus

Also known as pastel green wrasse, green wrasse, black-spot wrasse, pastel wrasse, green coris, ミドリオビベラ, 绿鳍海猪鱼

Adults are pale pastel green with darker markings and a black spot on the pectoral fin base, while juveniles are white with dark blotches. It is a hardy, active wrasse that hunts pests such as bristleworms and flatworms, which makes it popular in fish-only and some reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly, or one male with females in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, chopped shrimp, krill, small crustaceans and quality marine pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, northern Australia, Melanesia to Palau

Breeding

A protogynous hermaphrodite that spawns in pairs or groups, releasing floating eggs. It has rarely if ever been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Grows to around 19 cm in the wild and will eat small shrimps, crabs and snails, so it is not fully reef safe with invertebrates. Needs a deep sand bed to bury itself at night and a tight lid as it can jump.