All fish / Labridae

Nebulous wrasse

Halichoeres nebulosus

Also known as nebulous wrasse, clouded wrasse, pink-belly wrasse, pink belly wrasse, cloud wrasse, nebulosus wrasse, カミナリベラ, 云斑海猪鱼

A small, hardy wrasse with mottled green, brown and white markings, and many individuals have a pink or red patch on the belly. Keepers like it because it picks pests such as flatworms and bristleworms off the rockwork and adapts well to aquarium life.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Single or one male with females; avoid two males

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood, small invertebrates and quality marine pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: East Africa and Red Sea to Japan, Indonesia and Australia

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that spawns in pairs, releasing floating eggs. Captive breeding is rarely attempted and rearing the tiny larvae is very difficult.

Good to know

It needs a soft sand bed at least 5 cm deep to bury itself at night. It is mostly reef safe with corals but will eat small shrimps, snails and other small invertebrates.