All fish / Labridae

Zigzag Wrasse

Halichoeres scapularis

Also known as zigzag wrasse, saddle wrasse, brown-banded wrasse, scapular wrasse, zig zag wrasse, shoulder-spot wrasse, セイテンベラ, 肩斑海猪鱼, 侧带海猪鱼

A slim wrasse that lives over sand and rubble near reefs, with a pale body crossed by a dark zigzag stripe along the flank; adult males turn greener with pink and blue markings on the head. Keepers like it for its active foraging and its habit of hunting pests such as bristle worms and small snails.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

23 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

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

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

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so females can change into males, and pairs spawn in the open water column. Captive breeding is very rare and it is not bred commercially.

Good to know

It needs a deep sand bed of at least 5 cm to bury itself at night and a tight lid, because it jumps. It will eat small shrimps, crabs and snails, so it is only partly reef safe.