cleaner wrasse ate anthias fish alive "CHEATING"

Boxed Fish · 2026-09-24T23:40:52-0400

Long story short have anyone had experience with a cleaner wrasse or any other type of wrasse eating "cheat" other fish? cleaner wrasse was the last addition to my aquarium and with in two days a beautiful anthias had a hole in its side with its scales raised around the wound. crazy thing the cleaner wrasse only swam next to the anthers picking at the same side, the anthias would lower its fin to cover the wound so the cleaner wrasse couldn't touch it. scary stuff to know I purchased a rogue fish.

Baldyreef · 2026-09-24T23:46:40-0400

Boxed Fish said:
Long story short have anyone had experience with a cleaner wrasse or any other type of wrasse eating "cheat" other fish? cleaner wrasse was the last addition to my aquarium and with in two days a beautiful anthias had a hole in its side with its scales raised around the wound. crazy thing the cleaner wrasse only swam next to the anthers picking at the same side, the anthias would lower its fin to cover the wound so the cleaner wrasse couldn't touch it. scary stuff to know I purchased a rogue fish.

Could it have been a false cleanerfish (aspidontis taeniatus)?

christinna77 · 2026-09-25T00:12:38-0400

From what I know, cleaner wrasses can harass smaller fish to death. I've been avoiding getting one for that reason.

Baldyreef · 2026-09-25T00:38:31-0400

christinna77 said:
From what I know, cleaner wrasses can harass smaller fish to death. I've been avoiding getting one for that reason.

Eating an anthias alive is a a stretch over that line though especially depending on the size of the fish

Boxed Fish · 2026-09-25T01:01:40-0400

Baldyreef said:
Eating an anthias alive is a a stretch over that line though especially depending on the size of the fish

anthias was about 2.5" had a gapping hole same spot cleaner wrasse was seen always picking at. it never tended to the hippo tangs or any of the other tangs it seemed to be attached to only the anthia's

Boxed Fish · 2026-09-25T01:05:01-0400

Baldyreef said:
Could it have been a false cleanerfish (aspidontis taeniatus)?

holy crap this is exactly what it was. ive been sold a false cleaner wrasse. im going to the fish store I purchased it from. the behaviors and all from what ive just read is exactly what has occurred

winxp_man · 2026-09-25T04:32:45-0400

Boxed Fish said:
holy crap this is exactly what it was. ive been sold a false cleaner wrasse. im going to the fish store I purchased it from. the behaviors and all from what ive just read is exactly what has occurred

The bottom jaw is the thing to look at. Crazy nasty looking! Thing has teeth like African tiger fish haha. Well not really but you get the point.