The Bird Wrasse, (Gomphosus varius) is a member of the family Labridae, known commonly as the wrasses. A beautiful fish reaching a length of almost twelve inches, the Bird Wrasse, like all wrasses is a protogynous hermaphrodite. This means that all bird wrasses are born female, and then transition to males as they grow large enough and socially dominant enough in their territory. Bird Wrasses differ slightly in coloration depending on the collection point, but generally the smaller, juvenile or female coloration is a white underbelly, with a red rostrum, and fading to a darker olive brown color as it moves towards the back of the fish. In the wild, these fish are carnivores and specifically target invertebrates. They play a role in maintaining the health of large stony coral colonies by using their long “beaks” to be able to eat inverts that live inside the corals, some of which will damage them over time. They will eat almost any invertebrate they can fit into their mouth from tubeworms to decorative clams. In your home aquarium, provide a varied diet of Gamma Frozen Food and Pellets that will help prevent them from picking on invertebrates in your aquarium. Providing the Nutramar Marine Complete Shots will create enrichment for the wrasse. To learn more click here
