Anampses neoguinaicus

Bleeker, 1878

New Guinea Wrasse

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Philippines and Taiwan to Fiji, north to Southern Japan, south to New Caledonia and the Great Barrier Reef.

Size: 8 inches (20 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits inshore shallow reef lagoons and rubble containing slopes rich in coral growth and usually found at depths between 15 – 100 feet (5 – 30 m) where it feeds on zooplankton and benthic invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade, with the male having a darkish back and white lower body with a dark eyespot edged in blue at the top of the gill plate and another on the rear dorsal. The female also has similar colored body and head, and is said to have a black band on the anal fin.

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