All fish / Labridae

Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse

Labroides phthirophagus

Also known as hawaiian cleaner wrasse, hawaiian cleaner, cleaner wrasse, hawaiian bluestreak cleaner wrasse, ハワイアンクリーナーラス, 夏威夷裂唇鱼, 夏威夷清洁鱼

A slim wrasse found only in Hawaii, with a bright yellow head fading into magenta and violet, crossed by a black stripe that widens towards the tail. It runs cleaning stations on the reef where it removes parasites from larger fish, and aquarists buy it hoping it will do the same in a reef tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: in the wild feeds almost only on parasites and mucus picked from other fish; rarely accepts prepared foods such as mysis or finely chopped seafood

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

Usually under 1 year in captivity; about 4 years in the wild

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Hawaiian Islands (endemic), including Johnston Atoll

Breeding

Pelagic spawner that lives in pairs or small harems, releasing eggs into the water column at dusk. It has not been bred reliably in home aquariums.

Good to know

An obligate cleaner that nearly always starves in captivity, so most experts advise against buying it; Hawaii has restricted its collection and it is on the state's list of protected reef fishes. Look-alike Labroides dimidiatus is also a poor survivor, and blennies such as Aspidontus taeniatus mimic cleaners and bite fins.