Wrasse ID help

[capt85]

I bought a wrasse 4 days ago from a friend who owns a store. All it said on his order sheet was "purple wrasse" so that didn't help a lot.

It is about 2.5" long and does not have any "flasher" fins as I would call them. I have looked through multiple wrasse threads and have yet to come across one like it. I would guess that since it is so small it may still have it's juvenile colors.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks as always!

<a href="http://s1107.photobucket.com/user/wvessels/media/20140420_113705_zpslf4bv3qq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h389/wvessels/20140420_113705_zpslf4bv3qq.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 20140420_113705_zpslf4bv3qq.jpg"/></a>

 

[sugardaddy1979]

Doesn't look much like a wrasse at all to me. Looks more like some sort of basslet or maybe a dottyback .

 

[capt85]

I agree after looking at some thank you. I will search in that direction.

I am glad that I have it in QT so if he ends up being a pain I can keep him from the DT.

 

[sugardaddy1979]

Good luck. Glad you do have in a qt. Some of those guys can be boogers and based on his mouth and head shape I'd say he is at least semi aggressive. Of course, seems like most Saltwater fish are....

 

[Hormigaquatica]

It is a juvenile Chiseltooth Wrasse, Pseudodax moluccanus.
They're sort of reef safe, but will likely eat clean up crew. They graze algae off the rocks too, though may also pick at coral occasionally. IME they aren't very hardy long term; it isn't a fish you see in stores too often anymore.

 

[eatbreakfast]

+1 on Pseudodax moluccanus, but my experiences could not be any different from above post. I have found them to be an extremely hardy, sand sleeping wrasse. The ones I have owned never bothered CUC or ever picked at corals. They were exceptionally peaceful to all other fish. As juveniles they serve as cleaners, and lose the stripe as they get older.

 

[capt85]

Thank you both! It is most definitely a Pseudodax moluccanus from the pictures.

Now I just need to decide if I need to keep him long term.... I have a 75 gallon which would have been fine for the small wrasse I thought I was getting but this is a lot different. Of course I plan on upgrading in the future (don't we all) but most of my time and $ are focused on the frag tank and fish room. I don't mind if he eats my snails but I do not want him to eat my cleaner shrimp.

Decisions decisions.