Halichoeres melanurus ID, please.

[Gyr]

I recently purchased a wrasse advertised as Halichoeres melanurus at my LFS. It has been in QT for almost a month now, and doing well. It is almost time to move it to my DT, but I am wondering if the ID is correct. One of H. melanurus's common names is Tail Spot Wrasse, and most pictures I've seen show a distinct spot at the tail, but mine doesn't have a tail spot.

Is this an H. melanurus, and if not, what wrasse is it and is it considered to be reef safe? Thanks, and sorry about the poor photo quality.

 

[treylane]

Yes it's a melanurus wrasse, the juveniles have two eye spots that fade away as the fish grows. Yours looks like a subadult, and a beautiful specimen!

They are for the most part reef safe, but may harass or kill smaller shrimps as they mature. Some halichoeres wrasses will go after clams as well.

 

[Gyr]

treylane Yes it's a melanurus wrasse, the juveniles have two eye spots that fade away as the fish grows. Yours looks like a subadult, and a beautiful specimen!

Thanks, treylane. I happen to think he's beautiful, too, and I'm relieved he's a melanurus and relatively reef safe. I can't wait to get him into my DT. It's interesting about the dark spots behind his pectoral fins...sometimes they are there, sometimes not.

 

[flamron]

Definitely a Melanurus.

Here is mine - he has grown a lot since this pic and the colors are even better:

 

[Ralph ATL]

I love my melanarus!

 

[mscarpena]

Oh boy do I want one of them.

 

[jjk_reef00]

Great fish, I have one and it has great personality. Even picks the algea clip after my tangs have torn off all the big pieces.

 

[wantacookie]

My Melanarus also eats nori when little pieces get away from the clip.

 

[milkman55]

I have two of these, one in my display and one in my frag tank. They are on constant patrol for anything that is edible. Great fish, doesn't bother anything. I have fire, cleaner, and peppermint shrimp in these tanks and they are all fine. I think they do like to turn snails over and I have lost a few, but still have a lot of snails.

 

[Gyr]

Thanks for all the input everyone. Those are some great looking fish, it seems their colors are even more striking than my wrasse, but from what I gather, they get more vibrant as they age. Cool! Only a few more days and he can go in my DT.

Thanks again.