Tropical Fish Hobbyist - October 2010

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Harlequin Tuskfish Choerodon fasciatus

Generally considered to be one of the most striking fish in the marine hobby, the harlequin tuskfish Choerodon fasciatus has a bold striped pattern highlighted by four protruding blue teeth, which makes it one of the most sought-after wrasses. The protruding teeth are not particularly evident in juvenile specimens, but they become much more prominent over time.

This member of the wrasse family is found throughout the western Pacific Ocean and ranges from the Ryukyu Islands in the north to Australia and New Caledonia in the south, and from New Caledonia and Vanuatu in the east to Vietnam in the west.

Most of the fish in the trade are collected in the Philippines, though a number of them also reach the trade from Australia. Interestingly, the color of the Australian fish is significantly more intense than that of the Philippine fish. That fact, combined with the higher shipping costs from Australia, makes similarly sized Australian specimens sell for two to three times the cost of Philippine specimens. Regardless of where they are collected, the colors intensify as the fish grows.

Harlequin tusks always feed well in the aquarium. If you ever acquire one that doesn’t want to eat, offer it live ghost shrimp. If it doesn’t eat those, test your water—something is wrong! Its natural diet consists of crustaceans, small fish, and almost anything that moves and will fit into its mouth. Its behavior is typical of the

The ring wrasse Hologymnosus doliatus is occasionally available in the aquarium trade. This species has a fairly broad natural range that extends from the east coast of Africa to Samoa. It is typically found in water from 15 to 100 feet deep, usually on the seaward side of reefs.

The juveniles are attractively marked with a pattern of red horizontal stripes on a silvery body. As the juvenile grows, it becomes a female and some individuals will eventually become males. The terminal-phase males are beautifully colored, with numerous narrow purple vertical stripes on a green body with pink lines on the head and blue in the fins.

H. doliatus will dive into the sand when frightened and will also spend the night in it. It is important to provide a soft, deep sand bed, with a depth appropriate to the size of the fish— 2 to 3 inches should be sufficient for juveniles, but because adults can grow up to about 20 inches, they will need at least 6 inches of sand, with more being better.

Mark Denaro has been keeping freshwater aquariums since 1970 and marine aquariums since 1976. He has been involved in the industry at all levels, from import, to wholesale, to retail. Mark currently operates Anubias Design, an aquarium and terrarium design, installation, and maintenance company serving southeastern Pennsylvania and importer/online retailer of new, rare and interesting freshwater fishes, invertebrates, and plants. Mark can regularly be found at aquarium society meetings, workshops, and shows and is a well-known speaker and judge. His primary interests are anabantoids, cichlids, and planted aquariums. Mark was the president of the International Betta Congress. www. anubiasdesign.com

mark denaro photographs by the author

wrasse family in that it is an outgoing and active species that will also rest periodically by sitting on the substrate or on a rock, so don’t be alarmed by that behavior.

C. fasciatus grows to a length of 12 inches, but the most commonly available size is 4 to 6 inches. Juveniles of less than 2 inches in length are available in June and early July and make great additions to smaller tanks, though the hobbyist must be aware of its ultimate size and needs to have a plan in place to properly house their new possession throughout its life. This species was previously considered to be a member of the genus Lienardella, so older literature sources refer to it as L. fasciata.

Ring Wrasse Hologymnosus doliatus

Ring wrasses are active, predatory fish that feed quite well in captivity and will accept all of the typical meaty foods. In the wild they feed primarily on crustaceans and fish, so their tankmates should be chosen with care. Any tankmates that can be eaten will be eaten, and a prey item does not necessarily need to fit into the

wrasse’s mouth—they will take hold of a small- to medium-size fish and bash it on the coral, breaking it into pieces small enough to be eaten. Good tankmates include appropriately sized angelfish, butterflies, tangs, etc.

Its diet and size make this a poor choice for the reef aquarium. While juveniles can be kept in smaller aquaria, the adults require very large tanks appropriate to their size and activity level.