All fish / Labridae

Christmas Wrasse

Thalassoma trilobatum

Also known as christmas wrasse, ladder wrasse, green-blocked wrasse, trilobata wrasse, christmas tree wrasse, ハコベラ, 三叶锦鱼, 三叶海猪鱼

Terminal-phase males are bright green with red ladder-like bars and blue markings on the head. Females and juveniles are drabber brown with spotted bars. It is kept for its strong colours and constant, energetic swimming in large fish-only systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or as one male with several females in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: frozen mysis, krill, chopped seafood, pellets, small crustaceans

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to the Pitcairn Islands

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so females can turn into males, and it scatters pelagic eggs in open water. Breeding in home aquariums is almost unheard of.

Good to know

It grows large, swims fast and eats small fish, shrimps, crabs and snails, so it is not reef safe for invertebrates. The name 'No' is not a recognised trade name and is probably a listing error; females can be mistaken for Thalassoma purpureum.