All fish / Labridae

Greyhead Wrasse

Halichoeres leucurus

Also known as grey-head wrasse, greyhead wrasse, chain-lined wrasse, whitetail wrasse, white-tail wrasse, leucurus wrasse, 白尾海猪鱼

This is a slim reef wrasse. Females and young fish are pale and patterned with dark lines, and males turn greenish with a grey head. Hobbyists keep it because it is lively and hardy, and it eats pests such as small bristleworms and flatworms.

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 several 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, Malaysia to New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so females can change into males, and pairs spawn in open water and scatter their eggs. It is almost never bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Give it a soft sand bed at least 5 cm deep, because it buries itself to sleep, and keep a tight lid on the tank because it can jump. It may eat small shrimps, snails and other ornamental invertebrates.