Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Anampses

Anampses meleagrides

Valenciennes, 1840

Yellow-tailed Wrasse, Spotted Wrasse

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to Samoa and the Tuamotu Islands, north to Japan.

Size: 8 inches (22 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits seaward reefs and sponge habitats and usually found at depths between 15 – 150 feet (5 – 45 m) where it feeds on zooplankton and benthic invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Somewhat common in the trade, with the male having a darkish brown body with short blue lines on the body and a maze of blue markings on the head. Its tail is also brown, yet with blue spots. The female also has similar brownish body and head coloring, yet with numerous white spots and yellow tail.

Can be maintained in either fish-only or reef aquariums with each having a fine (0.5 – 2 mm) substrate of at least 4 inches (10 cm) in depth.

Requires a meaty diet, including fortified brine shrimp, mysis, black worms and other meaty type marine-based frozen foods. Needs two or three feedings per day. May be very difficult to get feeding in the beginning, and if so, try some live foods, such as black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) or adult fortified brine shrimp.

Taxonomy:

    Order: Perciformes

    Suborder: Labroidei

    Family: Labridae

    Genus: Anampses

FYI: Should only be kept in aquaria with a deep sandbed as they bury themselves at night, and when so, may often disturb bottom dwelling corals such as brain corals and Heliofungia corals.

Will eat ornamental crustaceans and fanworms, and may pick on Tridacna clams.

Can be difficult to acclimate. A poor shipper.

One male per aquarium.

May jump out of uncovered aquariums.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Temperature Range: 72- 82°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Anampses meleagrides (Yellow-tailed Wrasse, Spotted Wrasse)
Photo © John Randall
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