melanurus wrasse killed orchid dottyback?

[b_newman]

Being eaten by hermit crabs and bumble bee snails this morning was a new orchid dottyback. This 1.5" fish had been introduced 5 days ago, but was slightly harassed my a melanurus wrasse and stayed hidden until food passed by to eat everyday. Other than the wrasse, only a lyretail anthias trio(male & 2 females) are close to aggressive enough to kill anything.

Also in the 120g reef are a diamond watchman goby, a helfrichi firefish, a pair of ocellaris clowns, a blue, and a yellow tang.

Would the wrasse kill a dottyback, or did I get a defect?

 

[SDguy]

IME a healthy dottyback will eat under the most extreme circumstances...

 

[b_newman]

It ate from its LR hideout in the upper middle, but was dead at the bottom of a front corner.
Don't halichoeres wrasse species allow dottybacks?

 

[WuHT]

I have them together no problems. They don't even acknowledge each other's existence

 

[b0bab0ey]

How big is the Melanurus? IME, they are cute and effective worm/pyramid snail eaters when small, but can turn nasty as they get larger. Kinda like a Six Line.

 

[gweston]

I have two, each in a different tank.

They pick off (or flip and leave unharmed) snails sometimes I have found. But they have been super docile otherwise to all others. However, they are young. I got them as juvis a few months back. One went male for me, and the other female.

I don't like the snail thing, but they are awesome fish so far. Though I am a bit worried about adding ornamental shrimps. Supposedly they are shrimp safe, but I don't know.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[scapes]

i have a melanaurus wrasse that is close to the length of my hand and he has never touched my small fish....my smallest is a blue/green chromis and no worries. he did eat my peppermint shrimps, but never messed with fish

 

[b_newman]

The 4-5" male was the first fish in the tank to eat flatworms a year ago. Also in the tank are a pepperment & 2 cleaner shrimps, misc. snails & crabs etc. The wrasse is rather timid and has never bothered anything until I saw it chase the dottyback a few times. The orchid dottyback was 1.5"