Description

• Scientific Name: Halichoeres melanurus
• Common Names: Melanurus Wrasse, Hoeven’s Wrasse, Yellow-tailed Wrasse
• Maximum Length: 4.7 inches (12 cm)
• Minimum Aquarium Size: 55 gallons (208 liters) for a single fish; larger for multiple to support their active swimming and burrowing behavior.
• Foods and Feeding Habits: Carnivorous, feeding on small crustaceans, worms, and invertebrates in the wild. In aquariums, offer frozen mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, copepods, and high-quality marine pellets. Feed small amounts 2-3 times daily to mimic their foraging habits.
• Reef Safety: Reef-safe with caution; they may eat small ornamental shrimp or crabs but leave corals unharmed. Monitor in reef tanks with tiny invertebrates.
• Temperament: Peaceful but may chase smaller fish or conspecifics if space is limited. Best kept singly or in pairs with ample hiding spots and non-aggressive tankmates like gobies or cardinalfish.
• Description: The Melanurus Wrasse is a lively addition to marine tanks, admired for its vivid colors and active nature. Males display a green body with red-orange stripes and a distinctive black spot with a yellow ring at the tail base, while females are paler with similar markings. Native to the Western Pacific, from Japan to the Great Barrier Reef, they inhabit sandy lagoons and reef flats at depths of 1-15 meters. Their burrowing and foraging behaviors make them a dynamic choice for aquarists with mature tanks and a fine sand substrate.

Fun Facts:

• They bury themselves in sand to sleep at night, sometimes staying hidden for days when newly introduced, using their precise internal clock to emerge at dawn.
• In the wild, they act as cleaner fish, picking parasites like flatworms off larger species, boosting reef health while snacking.
• Their vibrant colors fade slightly under stress, allowing them to blend into sandy substrates as a sneaky defense against predators.