male meleagris or ornate leopard wrasse

[Rrwilson1223]

idk man, he kinda knows a lot about wrasses

Honestly, I appreciate both opinions. @evolved wrote it out in detail and I see what he means about the faceplate. It is interesting that my specimen has the black spot on the dorsal fin. Which was something I read online before @Fishurama posted. So thank you both!

I tried a little experiment to see what kind of temperament my wrasse has. I placed the bigger of my female meleagris in an acclimation box in the same tank to see if there would be any aggression. To my surprise, the female Meleagris found a way to escape the enclosure and was swimming around with the ornate. Both seemed fine and eventually they hit the sand bed for the evening. I’ll have to keep an eye on them for the next few days. If all is well, I’ll add the ornate to the DT shortly after the other more timid leopards post QT.

 

[Alenya]

idk man, he kinda knows a lot about wrasses

He’s responding to OP - challenging another members facts or sources should be acceptable anywhere though. Different viewpoints are healthy

 

[Rrwilson1223]

He’s responding to OP - challenging another members facts or sources should be acceptable anywhere though. Different viewpoints are healthy

Ah yes, quoted the wrong post. (Still getting used to responding on my phone). But I totally agree, all the info on here has been helpful to me.

 

[revhtree]

Please do not respond to me again, ive asked you once already. I do not want your info, i do not care for it, hell i wish i could block you.

Hello,

Please remember that this is an open forum and all opinions are welcome when it comes to the topic at hand as long as they are not in violation of our TOS. Not only is @evolved trying to help but he’s also a member of our moderating team.

Please refrain from telling him or anyone else not to respond and also please refrain from using curse words.

Thank you for being a very helpful member of the community yourself and if you have any questions about what I have said please PM me.

 

[Fishurama]

Hello,

Please remember that this is an open forum and all opinions are welcome when it comes to the topic at hand as long as they are not in violation of our TOS. Not only is @evolved trying to help but he’s also a member of our moderating team.

Please refrain from telling him or anyone else not to respond and also please refrain from using curse words.

Thank you for being a very helpful member of the community yourself and if you have any questions about what I have said please PM me.

I didn't want to do this on someones thread, hence answering one person in PMs but, please just ban me then if i can not tell someone i can not block to no engage me who i have had issues with in the past thanks. I will tell whoever i want to not talk to me.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I didn't want to do this on someones thread, hence answering one person in PMs but, please just ban me then if i can not tell someone i can not block to no engage me who i have had issues with in the past thanks. I will tell whoever i want to not talk to me.

Evolved was responding to a thread in which he had previously responded. He is one of the foremost expert in aquarium wrasses, not just on this forum, but within the entire aquarium community. His response was not a personal attack, but rather in response to information that was presented as fact, but which in reality is not the most accurate. He then presented evidence to refute what had previously been presented.

I am just curious as to why on a public forum correct information would be responded to so aggressively.

 

[revhtree]

I didn't want to do this on someones thread, hence answering one person in PMs but, please just ban me then if i can not tell someone i can not block to no engage me who i have had issues with in the past thanks. I will tell whoever i want to not talk to me.

No need to ban you or anyone! Let’s please just move on and enjoy the hobby together!

 

[Fishurama]

Evolved was responding to a thread in which he had previously responded. He is one of the foremost expert in aquarium wrasses, not just on this forum, but within the entire aquarium community. His response was not a personal attack, but rather in response to information that was presented as fact, but which in reality is not the most accurate. He then presented evidence to refute what had previously been presented.

I am just curious as to why on a public forum correct information would be responded to so aggressively.

Once again i didn't want to post about this here since it would take over. PM me further i will not be responding here.

 

[4FordFamily]

Evolved was responding to a thread in which he had previously responded. He is one of the foremost expert in aquarium wrasses, not just on this forum, but within the entire aquarium community. His response was not a personal attack, but rather in response to information that was presented as fact, but which in reality is not the most accurate. He then presented evidence to refute what had previously been presented.

I am just curious as to why on a public forum correct information would be responded to so aggressively.

+1. I also agree with what he has said, I too look at face patterns.

 

[Rrwilson1223]

So I’ve been QTing a trio of meleagris leopard females and decided to experiment with the ornate. I placed them on opposite sides of an old wet-dry tank and placed a barrier to see how they would react to one another. To my surprise, they didn’t really care. Then, my Meleagris found a way into the other side, both were swimming together and eating without issues. So now they are tank mates through QT.

Here is a video that includes a shot of them:

 

[Rrwilson1223]

Got a shot of the 2 swimming together in the QT. Seems like they are going to get along fine:

 

[OrionN]

Once again i didn't want to post about this here since it would take over. PM me further i will not be responding here.

@Fishurama posted information not quite correct and does not want anyone to challenge it, and just want incorrect information stand as valid and mislead other reefers.
I am glad that he cannot do this. In an open forums one must be able to defend the information or point of view he or she expressed.

 

[OrionN]

Here are some pictures to attempt to answer the original question on the tittle of this thread. Here are pictures of the largest of my M. meleagris as she change sex from female to male. I got her around the last quarter of 2018. She was the largest of my Meleagris Leopards for about 2 years. I do feed my tank a lot so she was always fat. The change was fairly rapid around 7/2020. She grew from about 1.5 inches to about 4.5 inches at this time. I seem to always under estimate my fish size. Once in a while I have a chance to actually measure my wrasse (sleeping in the back or side of the tank) I always surprise as how wrong I am, even when I already attempt to compensate for this.
IMO, their beauty decline in transition due to the haphazard color pattern a blurriness of the borders between colors. Once the change finished, he is one handsome wrasse, especially when he show off his brilliance color courting the female. I hope mine still have a little way to go. I like the spots near his belly to change a little more and become more orderly and bright. The blue upper body bright and "glowing" during courtship. It almost seem he gives off light.
01/27/2019

04/10/2020

07/09/2020

07/11/2020

07/14/2020

07/25/2020

09/05/2020

09/05/2020 Nuptial coloration

 

[Rrwilson1223]

Here are some pictures to attempt to answer the original question on the tittle of this thread. Here are pictures of the largest of my M. meleagris as she change sex from female to male. I got her around the last quarter of 2018. She was the largest of my Meleagris Leopards for about 2 years. I do feed my tank a lot so she was always fat. The change was fairly rapid around 7/2020. She grew from about 1.5 inches to about 4.5 inches at this time. I seem to always under estimate my fish size. Once in a while I have a chance to actually measure my wrasse (sleeping in the back or side of the tank) I always surprise as how wrong I am, even when I already attempt to compensate for this.
IMO, their beauty decline in transition due to the haphazard color pattern a blurriness of the borders between colors. Once the change finished, he is one handsome wrasse, especially when he show off his brilliance color courting the female. I hope mine still have a little way to go. I like the spots near his belly to change a little more and become more orderly and bright. The blue upper body bright and "glowing" during courtship. It almost seem he gives off light.
01/27/2019

04/10/2020

07/09/2020

07/11/2020

07/14/2020

07/25/2020

09/05/2020

09/05/2020 Nuptial coloration

You have some beautiful fish. Always an inspiration for my tank. I’ve got all 3 Meleagris in QT at the moment while my tank finishes a fallow period. They will be introduced with the ornate once QT is over and I have a chance to fatten them up. In fact, they will be going to a tank overrun with amphipods and Copepods. They are literally on everything right now.

I love the colors and kind of hope one of my trio turns. (Provided it won’t cause issues with my ornate but we can cross that bridge later).

Leopards have quickly become my favorite fish (as evidenced by the number of posts on here). They have a very unique and curious personality that I can appreciate.

I really do appreciate everyone’s opinions on here. It’s a big help for me as a wrasse newbie.

 

[Arlen nemeth]

More below, in a moment.

That information and video are incorrect.

You may be witnessing rival male behavior, and have confused it as courting.

And that's what I look for too.


Here's a more in-depth look:

These are holotype pictures (dead fish), so don't get too hung up on the coloration, but I'll draw attention to the patterns/features of both.

Male M. ornatus:

Female M. ornatus:

First, look at the patterns around the eyes and also on the gill plates (cheeks, if you'd rather). You'll note that the male has nice bold, solid lines, whereas the female has much more of a broken, spotted pattern. Next, look at the pattern on the sides of the body. The male has much more uniform, orderly circles than the female. And lastly, I'll draw your attention to the caudal (tail). Two big things here. First, the male much bigger spots, nicely arranged in a "fan array" style. The female has much smaller, less orderly spots. And then, there's the bold margins with the distinct iridescent edge on the male's caudal v. the female.

I have a question for you is 49.99 a good price for a ornate leopard?

 

[Rrwilson1223]

I have a question for you is 49.99 a good price for a ornate leopard?

Just under $50 is a pretty good price. If you look online, you’d be spending a lot more ($65 plus on LiveAquaria). Also depends on where you live. Some LFS like mine put them on sale. I’ve also seen Meleagris for $40 at an LFS in the past. I picked up 3 that day.

I had the LFS pack them with a little bit of sand to keep them from hurting themselves on the ride home. Quarantined them with sand and fed them white worms and pods for the first week. All 3 Meleagris and the Ornate are all living peacefully in my main display.

 

[Arlen nemeth]

Just under $50 is a pretty good price. If you look online, you’d be spending a lot more ($65 plus on LiveAquaria). Also depends on where you live. Some LFS like mine put them on sale. I’ve also seen Meleagris for $40 at an LFS in the past. I picked up 3 that day.

I had the LFS pack them with a little bit of sand to keep them from hurting themselves on the ride home. Quarantined them with sand and fed them white worms and pods for the first week. All 3 Meleagris and the Ornate are all living peacefully in my main display.

Nice i got my melegris for 30$ which seemed high for me as ive seen them for like 20$.

 

[Rrwilson1223]

Nice i got my melegris for 30$ which seemed high for me as ive seen them for like 20$.

Wow, that’s a great deal. I’m out in Northern California and haven’t seen them for that. $40 was the best I’ve seen and they were on the smaller side. They were a little scarce during the height of the pandemic. But they seem to be back in stock.

 

[Arlen nemeth]

Wow, that’s a great deal. I’m out in Northern California and haven’t seen them for that. $40 was the best I’ve seen and they were on the smaller side. They were a little scarce during the height of the pandemic. But they seem to be back in stock.

Yea same ive seen more leopardsnlately hoping to see more fishes in stock soon!