Missing wrasse

[SuncrestReef]

Last weekend I added a beautiful yellow & purple wrasse to my Reefer XL 425, where I also have 2 clowns and a tailspot blenny.



The first two nights the wrasse buried itself in the sand over night, but was back out first thing each morning. Yesterday, it decided to bury itself around noon, and has not come out since. I understand they can sometimes stay in the sand for weeks, so I figured I should keep track of how long it's been hiding:



I'm sure it will come out to eat eventually! ;)

 

[eatbreakfast]

Hiding for even longer isn't uncommon.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Hiding for even longer isn't uncommon.

Yes, I've read other posts that they sometimes stay hidden for weeks.

 

[SuncrestReef]

This morning I found the wrasse laying motionless on the sand bottom under a rock, but still breathing. I assumed it was maybe still waking up from sleeping in the sand, so I left it alone. Later today I bought a few more snails and a skunk cleaner shrimp. When I came home from dinner this evening, I found the new shrimp eating what was left of the wrasse. I don't know if the shrimp killed the sleeping wrasse, or if the wrasse was already dead and the shrimp just took advantage of the situation. In any event, I'm really sad about losing my new wrasse. I'm not sure if I will replace it with another wrasse or if I'll get a different kind of fish that doesn't go into hiding in the sand. :(

 

[ca1ore]

the wrasse was already dead and the shrimp just took advantage of the situation.

Almost certainly this.