Cheilinus oxycephalus

Bleeker, 1853

Snooty Wrasse

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to Marquesas and Society Islands, north to Taiwan, and south to the southern Great Barrier Reef and Austral Islands.

Size: 7 inches (17 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coral rich lagoon areas and seaward reefs and usually found at depths between 3 – 130 feet (1– 40 m) where it feeds on benthic hard-shelled invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade having a reddish brown body with white spots and has a black spot on front dorsal fin. Colors tend to differ somewhat depending upon areas of collection.

Best maintained in fish-only aquariums, which should provide hiding places and lots of open swimming area. If wanting an aquarium with moderately aggressive tankmates, this species should be the first to be placed into the aquarium. Should the aquarium have peaceful species, this fish should be the last to be added.

As to diet, products such as marine fish and crustacean flesh, clams, and other marine meaty foods should make up the majority of their diet and be enriched and chopped into fine pieces and fed until it no longer consumes the food, then not fed again for two to three days.

May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium and if so, (if small live marine fish are not available) live glass/grass shrimp, earth worms, small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs and/or live guppies/mollies may be needed to sustain the fish.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Labridae

Genus: Cheilinus

FYI: Will eat smaller fishes, snails, tubeworms, ornamental shrimps, crabs, brittle stars, sea stars and urchins.

Usually sleep in caves and crevices.

Hardy species. One per aquarium

Will disturb sandbeds by blowing jets of water into it to find buried prey.

A consumer of large amounts of food at one time and can go days without feeding again.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: With caution

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Moderately aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 250 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5