Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Anampses

Anampses cuvier

Quoy & Gaimard 1824

Pearl Wrasse

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Central Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian and the Midway Islands.

Size: 12 inches (30 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits inshore areas and tidepools and usually found at depths between 6 – 85 feet (2 – 25 m) where it feeds on zooplankton and benthic invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, with the adult male having an overall blue body with the female, a dark brown body with a white spots, and a whitish head with red spots.

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. Will also accept flake foods, which should contain Spirulina.

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.

One male per aquarium.

May jump out of uncovered aquariums.

A nervous species that may swim from one end of the aquarium to the other almost constantly during daylight hours.

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: 150 gallons

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

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Anampses cuvier (Pearl Wrasse)
Photo © John Randall
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