wrasse id

[Chipie]

Hi,
There's this wrasse for sale at the LFS and they say it's a dusky wrasse but i'm not sure that they actually know for sure. Can anybody help id this fish?

 

[lilchris]

it looks to be a type of halichoeres species. not sure which one. If I was a betting man, I would say an halichoeres ornate (xmas wrasse) Does it have two spots on it top fin?

 

[coryjac0b]

looks just like the christmas wrasse i just pulled out of my tank.

 

[Chipie]

Why did you pull it out coryjac0b ?

 

[Beach Bum 70]

agree x mass

 

[cwoods8]

Halichoeres ornatissimus

 

[Chipie]

Is this usually a nice fish or should i stay away from it?

 

[cwoods8]

nice fish.....not exactly the easiest of wrasses to keep. One needs an established tank with a thick sandbed, as they bury themselves at night. A little ify on inverts, especially when added after it (corals are ok). Make sure it is eating at the LFS!!!

 

[coryjac0b]

He chased out my yellow coris 3 times, the third time i wasnt home to put him back in. He would dart from one side of the tank to the other at the school of 4 chromis (7ft tank). When he started messing with my big foxface and my other fairy wrasses, that was his last straw. He was a very beautiful fish, but turned out to be a very mean one. in my experience.

 

[Chipie]

Humm... now you're scaring me. My tank is well estblished and i have a 4 inches sand bed. As for the inverts, i have large snails and a very large red shrimp.

Anybody here have experience with a Dusky wrasse(in case this is one)?
Thanks all for the help

 

[lilchris]

Mine is really good. She is constantly swimming around looking for worms to feed on. I recently put a McCosker in the tank, he did chase it around for a couple days. After they established to dominance she does not bother the MCcosker anymore. Being hard to keep, I haven't experienced that either. Just make sure you do a good QT w/ a container of deep sand and get him/her on a feeding and light schedule. I think mine went under the sand for 3 days before I seen her in the Display tank. She is my favorite in the tank right now.

 

[Gregsgsr]

i owned one for 2 months he was pretty aggressive towards my slower moving fish.

 

[Chipie]

Well i finally decides to go with an exquisite Fairy wrasse instead. My tank is very peacfull and i'd like to keep it that way. That fish(Dusky or Christmas wrasse) is really beautiful but i just don't want to take the risk of having my other fish harrased by this one.
Thanks to all that provided input on this fish.