Two melanorous wrasses, is it a time bombe

[Koty]

After a two-month fallow (velvet), I have returned my surviving fish to the DT. The young smaller one was added first, and the larger (male?) After a few days. They seem to get along fine with the male, rarely chasing her with no apparent aggression. Does anybody have experience with having two in a tank (110 g reef)?

 

[blaxsun]

I just have the one, so I guess keep an eye on them for any signs of aggression. Hope it works out with the pair!

 

[Koty]

I was wondering whether these are two males?

 

[nereefpat]

I was wondering whether these are two males?

It's kind of a spectrum for wrasses. They do look like young males to me.

My male is pretty darn mellow, but does not like his reflection. Keep us updated. Maybe the 110 gallons will be big enough.

 

[SaltyT]

They are both male, but they're not both Melanurus. The one on the left is a Melanurus, the one on the right is a Chrysotaenia.

Some people have reported successfully keeping these two together by having other halichoeres wrasses in the tank to disperse their attention. Do keep us updated!

 

[nereefpat]

They are both male, but they're not both Melanurus. The one on the left is a Melanurus, the one on the right is a Chrysotaenia.

Are you looking at the caudal fin?

 

[SaltyT]

Are you looking at the caudal fin?

Yes, caudal fin and also the body pattern and facial markings on the gill plate.

 

[nereefpat]

Yes, caudal fin and also the body pattern and facial markings on the gill plate.

I've never noticed the gill plate before!

Is mine actually Vrolik's?

 

[i cant think]

After a two-month fallow (velvet), I have returned my surviving fish to the DT. The young smaller one was added first, and the larger (male?) After a few days. They seem to get along fine with the male, rarely chasing her with no apparent aggression. Does anybody have experience with having two in a tank (110 g reef)?

I would say they’re alright together but that’s just me comparing these two wrasses to the three Halichoeres I have owned in the past/present. I know they aren’t as bad as the Jade in terms of aggression but they also aren’t as peaceful as radiants or silver bellies so they fall between them in terms of aggression.

 

[SaltyT]

I've never noticed the gill plate before!

Is mine actually Vrolik's?

Yours is still transitioning but it looks like a melanurus to me.

 

[i cant think]

Yours is still transitioning but it looks like a melanurus to me.

I’d say Melanurus too but it’s certainly not easy to identify a wrasse when transitioning… I’ve been caught out with fairies in my LFS when they’re still female, I rarely see female Halichoeres melanurus or similar species to them though, female jades and radiants occur regularly but others aren’t as common female as they are male.

 

[Koty]

Well, that's a surprise! The one on the right brought the velvet to my tank and the larger melanorous chased it and tried to kill it. I transferred it to the sump, and it completely devoured all the pods, and two days later, my fish started dying. Two months later, I moved the smaller one back to the DT. He had a great time eating all the critters that grew during the fallow. The older melanomas was brought in 4 days later. The fallow did not work because it looked sick and breathing hard with its mouth open for 2-3 days a. Now he recovered, and they seem to get along with only gentle hierarchy gestures.

 

[nereefpat]

Yours is still transitioning but it looks like a melanurus to me.

Pic was last August. I tried to get a recent one over lunch, but all were too blurry. The tail is such a mess on mine, that I haven't been convinced. To me, the gill plate looks more like H. chrysotaenia.

I rarely see female Halichoeres melanurus or similar species to them though, female jades and radiants occur regularly but others aren’t as common female as they are male.

I see the opposite on this side of the pond. I've only seen juvenile/female Halichoeres wrasses for sale.

 

[SaltyT]

Pic was last August. I tried to get a recent one over lunch, but all were too blurry. The tail is such a mess on mine, that I haven't been convinced. To me, the gill plate looks more like H. chrysotaenia.

You need a tank thread lol I'm interested to see how your guy turns out :) I like a good mystery

 

[i cant think]

Pic was last August. I tried to get a recent one over lunch, but all were too blurry. The tail is such a mess on mine, that I haven't been convinced. To me, the gill plate looks more like H. chrysotaenia.


I see the opposite on this side of the pond. I've only seen juvenile/female Halichoeres wrasses for sale.

I wish we had more female/juvenile Halichoeres but the only ones I’ve seen come in a juvenile/female are:
Pudding wifes, cosmetus, radiants, jades, timorensis.
I have seen the odd redline (I may replace my jade with one if I have room after the tilefish, naoko and leopard are added). Those guys are beautiful as female/juvenile but their pricing is equivalent to the radiant (Probably actually higher).

 

[nereefpat]

You need a tank thread lol I'm interested to see how your guy turns out :) I like a good mystery

Yeah, someday I should start one. I really don't post many pics, but I should do that more.

Hunter thought it was melanurus too. It probably is.

I wish we had more female/juvenile Halichoeres but the only ones I’ve seen come in a juvenile/female are:
Pudding wifes, cosmetus, radiants, jades, timorensis.

I wish radiants were more common here. Awesome looking fish.

 

[i cant think]

I wish radiants were more common here. Awesome looking fish.

I wish they didn’t have such a bad shipping mortality… They’re lovely fish but the shipping mortality really does add to the “expert only” care level. If I’m honest, mine has been the easiest fish ever to keep and my two Lubbock’s have been a close second. My hardest has been the Jade recently, trying to keep her calm is a nightmare and she’s become highly aggressive recently… For sure would love one but maybe not for a while, I’d probably get one but only in an 8’x4’ tank since I’d want to keep one with other wrasse again (It worked once, it could work again).
In all honesty, photos show no justice to a true male radiant. I used to dislike them but now I’ve seen a male in my LFS they’re beautiful. I still prefer the female over male though but I always will with any of those wrasse; Cosmetus, timorensis ect…

 

[jmichaelh7]

I feel sorry for the small critters in your tank .. :)

 

[i cant think]

I feel sorry for the small critters in your tank .. :)

After you own several wrasse small/soft shelled critters just don’t exist haha, with wrasse I find turbo snails, conchs, larger hermit crabs, starfish, urchins and cleaner shrimp can get by the larger Halichoeres/coris wrasses. I think the larger coral banded shrimp can get past the wrasses but mine was about 1” when the Halichoeres wrasse got caught eating the dead body (I feel like the Jade did the final blow on him but both of my halis were found snacking on the body). These fish are lovely but not always for the best tanks, I think the tilefish and wrasse are very similar to eachother but I have no idea because I haven’t collected my tilefish just yet.

 

[Koty]