Page 270 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

268 MARINE FISH DIRECTORY

Bodianus anthioides
Lyretail Hogfish

ORIGINS From the Red Sea eastward through much of
the Pacific to Japan and New Caledonia.
SIZE 10 in (25 cm).
DIET Primarily invertebrates.
WATER Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline
(pH 8.0–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.025.
TEMPERAMENT Do not mix with invertebrates.
These stunningly attractive wrasse undergo a
progressive color change. In young fish, the area
around the lips is white, and the front of the body
is more orange than the red seen in adults. The
black areas on the body become more evident
as the fish age. The Lyretail Hogfish has an
active nature and will spend long periods
swimming around the tank. It will not
burrow into the substrate, like some
wrasse, but prefers to have a suitable
area in among the rockwork of the
aquarium where it can rest. Avoid
mixing Lyretails with invertebrates
such as crustaceans, which are their natural
prey in the wild. Companion fish should be of a
similar size, since Lyretail Hogfish are territorial.
Unfortunately, it does not appear possible to sex
these wrasse visually. Their reproductive
behavior has not been documented to date.

Labroides dimidiatus Larabicus quadrilineatus
COLOR CHANGES
Blue Streak Cleaner Wrasse Four-Line Wrasse
There is often such a difference in the color
ORIGINS From the Red Sea through the Indo-Pacific to ORIGINS The distribution of this particular wrasse of young and adult wrasse that they look like
Japan and eastern Australia, extending to Oceania. appears to be restricted to the Red Sea. separate species. The fish below is a juvenile
SIZE 4 in (10 cm). SIZE 5 in (12.5 cm). Diana’s Hogfish (Bodianus diana), but when it
DIET Marine flake and freeze-dried foods. DIET Prepared diets, including thawed live foods. matures, its body will turn red and it will lose
WATER Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline WATER Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline the white spots. Males may also change color
(pH 8.0–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.025. (pH 8.0–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.025. if their status alters. In each population, there
TEMPERAMENT Can be kept together. TEMPERAMENT Adults more aggressive than young. is a dominant male—the largest and most
brightly colored individual—plus a number
Like other cleaners, Blue Streaks naturally feed on Low dorsal fin of females and subordinate males. If the
the sides of other reef fish, removing parasites and dominant male dies, one of the subordinate
eating mucus and loose skin. They must not be males will change color and assume the role.
housed with delicate-skinned fish, since their
attentions may cause damage, but they
normally adapt readily to an alternative diet of
prepared foods. Keep only one in the tank if
other species are present; otherwise, the cleaners
may harass the rest of the occupants. Pairs in
good condition may spawn in the aquarium, but
attempts to rear the fry almost always fail. At Known only since 1973, Four-Line Wrasse undergo
night, Blue Streak Wrasse a dramatic change in feeding habits as they mature.
retreat into dark crevices. Long, narrow body, While young, they obtain food by cleaning other
with obvious striping
fish, but when they become adults, they switch to
feeding on coral polyps. As a result, they are not
a good choice for a reef aquarium, despite their
small size. Males also change in color, losing the
striped body patterning but developing a small
angular blue stripe under the eye.

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