Canary Wrasse Juv/Female

Description

Canary Wrasse Juv/Female, Halichoeres chrysus, also go by the name Banana Wrasse. As the names suggest, these slender beauties are bright yellow in colour.

Like all members of the Halichoeres group, males and females are sexually dimorphic. Meaning they look different even though they are the same species. Some differences are clearer than others. Females have black spots along their dorsal, whereas males have green and orange stripes across their face. They also have a black spot behind their eye.

Halichoeres wrasse are found in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. The etymology for the genus is ‘Salt’, (alis) and ‘Pig’ (choiros).

Canary Wrasse Juv/Female, Halichoeres chrysus, Ecology:

These fish live in the Eastern Indian and West Pacific Ocean. Ranging from: Australia, Japan, Christmas island and some areas in Indonesia.

They live in a mix of habitats, such as: coral reefs, sandy or rocky areas. The complex structures help the wrasse avoid predation. Failing that, Canary Wrasse quickly vanish by burying themselves in the sand bed. These Wrasse live in social groups with one top male to a few or more females. Canary Wrasse are also protogynous hermaphrodites. Which means when the dominant male perishes, the largest female in the group will turn male. It will then become the new breeding male. As a result, all juvenile Canary Wrasse, are in fact immature females.

In the wild, Canary Wrasse Juv/Female flit in amongst crevices, seeking out small inverts. Their eyes are disconjugate, making them incredibly effective hunters. They can also handle larger prey, thanks to their bashing method. Where they chuck a prey item against rock to break it up.

Halichoeres wrasse could be helpful for dealing with pests. Such as nuisance snails, polychaete and nudibranchs, but may be risky with some kinds of ornamental critters. We recommend giving us a call to answer any compatibility questions you may have.

Banana Wrasse In the Aquarium:

It is important to copy the natural environment by providing plenty of nooks and crannies. There should also be a good sand bed for the wrasse to hide and sleep in. Hobbyists should get a jump guard to stop any unfortunate losses.

Canary Wrasse Juv/Female do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept enriched frozen mysis shrimp and enriched frozen brine shrimp. They will also eat live foods, such as copepods and amphipods, that can be cultivated in attached refugium. Over time they will accept high-quality pellet or flake. We adapt all our wrasse to aquarium life before they leave us. We focus on their health, and most are eating a good quality flake food and/or pellet, such as JBL Maris, before being offered for sale.

The Fish pictured here are representative only and the livestock you receive may vary in pattern, coloration, and shape.