Species Name: Gomphosus varius

Authority: Lacepede, 1801

Common Name: Green Bird Wrasse

Range: Indo-Pacific Ocean: Eastern Indian Ocean to Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Tuamotu Islands, southern Japan, Lord Howe and Rapa Islands

Size: 12 inches - 30 cm

Natural Environment: Inhabits coral rich areas of lagoons and seaward reefs

General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 75 - 83°F (24 - 28°C) and has a natural diet of benthic invertebrate and small fishes. Requires a meaty diet, including chopped fish and shrimp flesh, fortified brine shrimp, mysis, black worms and other meaty type frozen foods. Two or three feedings per day. Sometimes bury themselves if extremely frightened. Usually, they sleep under rock shelves, on or under a coral branch, in a crevice, or directly on the sand surface, however, providing a deep sandbed of about 4 inches (10 cm) of fine-grained sand would be a good idea. Hardy, however, almost always moving and a difficult fish to adequately feed. Can cause stress to its tankmates. Probably better left in the wild.

Aquarium Suitability: Large fish-only aquariums