All fish / Labridae

Adorned Wrasse

Halichoeres cosmetus

Also known as adorned wrasse, cosmetus wrasse, ornate wrasse, adorned halichoeres, 华丽海猪鱼

A slim wrasse with green and orange horizontal lines, small eyespots on the dorsal fin and bluish markings on the head. It is kept for its bright colours, active swimming and habit of hunting pests such as flatworms and small bristleworms on live rock.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly, or one male with females in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood, quality marine pellets, fed several times a day

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 7 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Indian Ocean: East Africa, Red Sea fringe, Maldives, Chagos, Mascarenes

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that spawns in pairs, releasing pelagic eggs. Captive breeding is rare because the tiny larvae are very hard to raise.

Good to know

Needs a deep sand bed of at least 5 cm for burying at night and a tight lid as it jumps. It may eat small crustaceans, snails and ornamental worms, so it is not completely reef safe for invertebrate-heavy tanks.