Yellowtail Tamarin Wrasse (Anampses meleagrides)

[AydenLincoln]

Both of mine do fine together as well. The Yellowtail sometimes obsessively follows the Mel then gets chased off after a bit, but otherwise they’re fine.

What size tank?

 

[argiBK]

What size tank?

180 gallons.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Actually just realized that this thread was about the yellowtail, A meleagrides not the yellow streaked A femininus.
The yellowtail is the most reasonable of the tamarin wrasse. It is still a very difficult fish but doable. I would only get one that looks healthy and is eating at an LFS but I have one and it is doing well.

Is the Yellowtail Wrasse (Anampses meleagrides) safe with corals and inverts? I saw one of these at my LFS today and it ate frozen. I wanted to buy it, but the store owner and one of the staff both said they aren’t really reef safe and would eat inverts. I read on LiveAquaria that they’re reef safe, though. What’s been your experience?

 

[Slocke]

Is the Yellowtail Wrasse (Anampses meleagrides) safe with corals and inverts? I saw one of these at my LFS today and it ate frozen. I wanted to buy it, but the store owner and one of the staff both said they aren’t really reef safe and would eat inverts. I read on LiveAquaria that they’re reef safe, though. What’s been your experience?

Yes they are definitely reef safe. Will eat copepods and other tiny inverts all day long but I highly doubt it would eat anything much bigger.

 

[MIKE NY]

I respectfully disgree. I have a blue dot, a yellow tail and a white tail. They are reef safe with everything when small, but they do grow larger than Leopards and although they are fine with coral, anything with legs are on the menu…I don’t keep any hermits or shrimps.….can’t get a good pic of the white

 

[WrasseyReefer]

I respectfully disgree. I have a blue dot, a yellow tail and a white tail. They are reef safe with everything when small, but they do grow larger than Leopards and although they are fine with coral, anything with legs are on the menu…I don’t keep any hermits or shrimps.….can’t get a good pic of the white

Thanks for this information. Have you actually seen them eat inverts (not talking copepods/amphipods, but shrimp/crab/hermit/etc)? Sounds like the store owner I spoke to was correct then, and it’s good I didn’t buy it. It’s a beautiful fish, but I also really like keeping inverts that I don’t want to be eaten.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Yes they are definitely reef safe. Will eat copepods and other tiny inverts all day long but I highly doubt it would eat anything much bigger.

Do you currently have a yellowtail wrasse (Anampses meleagrides) living with shrimp/crab/hermit/etc that it doesn’t eat?

 

[Slocke]

Do you currently have a yellowtail wrasse (Anampses meleagrides) living with shrimp/crab/hermit/etc that it doesn’t eat?

Yes. A fire shrimp, skunk cleaner, tiger pistol, many small hermit crabs, snails, serpent stars etc. Also had a porcelain crab for a long time but lost it in a heater malfunction.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Seems like I’m getting a lot of mixed experiences from people about this fish. It’s a bummer I might have to skip it.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Yes. A fire shrimp, skunk cleaner, tiger pistol, many small hermit crabs, snails, serpent stars etc. Also had a porcelain crab for a long time but lost it in a heater malfunction.

Nice. Mike NY said when they get bigger they may eat inverts. Is yours small or large?

 

[Slocke]

Nice. Mike NY said when they get bigger they may eat inverts. Is yours small or large?

Mine is small and though they get large they are not the aggressive predators similar sized wrasse are. I keep wrasse dominant tanks and even the big Halichoeres leave my shrimp alone but I feed very regularly.

I respectfully disgree. I have a blue dot, a yellow tail and a white tail. They are reef safe with everything when small, but they do grow larger than Leopards and although they are fine with coral, anything with legs are on the menu…I don’t keep any hermits or shrimps.….can’t get a good pic of the white

And to think yours are still female. Wait till they go male!!

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Mine is small and though they get large they are not the aggressive predators similar sized wrasse are.

And to think yours are still female. Wait till they go male!!

Ok, so it sounds like it’s possible they’ll eat inverts when they get large enough. Bummer! Gorgeous fish. I guess I’ll go for the less colorful black leopard wrasse when I can find one. I know my LFS gets them sometimes.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Mine is small and though they get large they are not the aggressive predators similar sized wrasse are. I keep wrasse dominant tanks and even the big Halichoeres leave my shrimp alone but I feed very regularly.

And to think yours are still female. Wait till they go male!!

How do you distinguish male from female? I’d love to learn.

 

[Slocke]

How do you distinguish male from female? I’d love to learn.

This is a male. It’s very very hard to get a male because they are a difficult fish and slow growing but if you succeed

 

[WrasseyReefer]

This is a male. It’s very very hard to get a male because they are a difficult fish and slow growing but if you succeed

Wow they look like a completely different fish. So the one I saw at the LFS was a female as well with the black body and yellow tail. Interesting. Love wrasses.

 

[Slocke]

Wow they look like a completely different fish. So the one I saw at the LFS was a female as well with the black body and yellow tail. Interesting. Love wrasses.

One thing they definitely have over leopards is they don’t go ugly as males. But yes all wrasse start as females and go male eventually and most have very different colors.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

One thing they definitely have over leopards is they don’t go ugly as males. But yes all wrasse start as females and go male eventually and most have very different colors.

Go ugly as males? I like how my male blue star leopard looks. Do they get ugly or is this your opinion of male leopards? Lol

 

[JoJosReef]

Go ugly as males? I like how my male blue star leopard looks. Do they get ugly or is this your opinion of male leopards? Lol

I don't think they go ugly, just that the female colors are better. Coris aygula, now. Wow, what a change, not for the better! Dragon wrasse also has a dramatic transition, I think.

 

[Slocke]

Go ugly as males? I like how my male blue star leopard looks. Do they get ugly or is this your opinion of male leopards? Lol

My opinion lol
With most wrasse the male has more vibrant colors but with many leopards the opposite. And honestly don’t think the males are ugly just less pretty.

 

[Slocke]

I don't think they go ugly, just that the female colors are better. Coris aygula, now. Wow, what a change, not for the better! Dragon wrasse also has a dramatic transition, I think.

True coris wrasse have the craziest color changes. Dragons just look more and more psychotic as they age.