Blue Head Wrasse

Description

Blue Head Wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum, also go by the name Blueheaded Wrasse. They are beautiful and charismatic fish, perfect for adding a colour and movement in a predator tank. They have spectacular, rich green bodies. As well as a bold, black and white, saddleback marking behind their gills. As the name suggests, their heads are deep blue in colour.

Blue Head Wrasse males and females are sexually dimorphic. Meaning they look different even though they are the same species.

Blue Head Wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum, Ecology:

These fish live in the Atlantic Ocean. Their range includes: the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Bermuda Triangle and the Caribbean Sea.  They live on coral reefs and amongst sea grass. Where they occasional serve as cleaner wrasse for larger fish, picking parasites from their skin. Blue Head Wrasse are protogynous hermaphrodites. Which means that, when they get old enough, breeding females transition into a male.

These fish have large diets and are active foragers. They are able to crack through mollusc, as well as catch shrimp and small fish. They can be described as ‘rock movers’, as they will overturn loose objects on the hunt for food. Blue Head Wrasse can also handle larger, armoured prey, thanks to their bashing technique. This is where they throw a prey item against a surface to break it up. These behaviours are interesting to watch.

Blueheaded Wrasse in the Aquarium:

It is important to imitate the natural environment by providing plenty of nooks and crannies for the fish to investigate. Hobbyists should invest in a jump guard to prevent any unfortunate mishaps.

Blue Head Wrasse do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept: frozen krill, large frozen mysis and whole frozen fish, that we enrich with garlic and vitamins. These additives are extremely useful for supporting fish immune systems. They will also devour live foods, such as feeder shrimp. 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.