All fish / Labridae

Six-line Wrasse

Pseudocheilinus hexataenia

Also known as sixline wrasse, six line wrasse, 6 line wrasse, sixstripe wrasse, six-striped wrasse, sixline, ニセモチノウオ, 六线狭鳍隆头鱼, 六带拟唇鱼, 六线龙

A small, busy wrasse striped lengthways in orange and violet, with a green tint on the tail and a small false eyespot near the tail base. It is hardy, safe with corals and spends its day searching the rockwork, often eating pest snails and flatworms, so it is a common choice for reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, one per tank

Diet

Carnivore: small crustaceans, mysis, brine shrimp, quality pellets and flakes; picks at pests such as flatworms and pyramid snails

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the central Pacific

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so females can turn into males. Pairs spawn in open water and the eggs and larvae drift in the plankton. Very few have been bred in home aquariums, although some have been raised commercially.

Good to know

It can turn nasty as it grows older, bullying shy, slow or newly added fish such as gobies, dottybacks and other small wrasses, so add it last. Keep the lid tight because it can jump, and give it rockwork where it can hide and sleep.