All fish / Labridae

Vrolik's Wrasse

Halichoeres vrolikii

Also known as vrolik's wrasse, halichoeres chrysotaenia, indian ocean pinstriped wrasse, pinstripe wrasse, green wrasse, checkerboard wrasse, black-ear wrasse, 弗氏海猪鱼

This slim wrasse has a greenish body with fine orange or pink lines. Juveniles and females are paler, with dark spots on the dorsal fin, and terminal males take on bolder colours. Aquarists keep it because it is hardy, active and lively, and it hunts pests such as flatworms and bristleworms.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

13 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly or one male with several females

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 7 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka to New Guinea

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so females can change into males, and it spawns in open water. Captive breeding is rare and difficult because the larvae are tiny and pelagic.

Good to know

It needs a deep sand bed to bury itself in at night and a tight lid because it can jump. It may eat small shrimps, snails and other ornamental invertebrates, and it is often confused with the very similar Halichoeres chrysotaenia from the Pacific.