Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Halichoeres

Halichoeres scapularis

(Bennett, 1832)

Zigzag Wrasse

Not Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to Papua New Guinea, north to Southern Japan, and south to the Great Barrier Reef.

Size: 8 inches (20 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow lagoons usually over sand and rubble and close to seagrass beds and usually found at depths between 15 – 150 feet (5 – 45 m) where it feeds on benthic invertebrates.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade with juveniles overall white with a lengthwise central black dotted line. As it grows into adulthood, males become greyish white with some orange in the tail, and females tend to be overall white with the black dotted line arched across the back.

Best maintained in fish-only aquariums having a fine sand bed, (0.5 – 2.0 mm) and at least 4 inches deep (for juveniles), along with several rocky crevices to hunt and also open swimming areas. Those in this genus will not only rearrange bottom dwelling corals in its search for tasty bottom dwelling invertebrates, as it will eat smaller fishes, snails, tubeworms, sea stars, cucumbers, urchins, crabs, and shrimp that it can find, it will also quickly burrow into the sand bed if frightened or for sleeping at night. This diving into the sand bed will cause clouds of sand particles to be dispensed into the water, and would cause various corals harm, therefore, as mentioned above, those in this genus, depending upon their size, are not often recommended for reef aquariums.

Requires a meaty diet, including fortified brine shrimp, mysis, and other meaty type marine-based frozen for fresh foods, and should be fed twice daily.

Taxonomy:

    Order: Perciformes

    Suborder: Labroidei

    Family: Labridae

    Genus: Halichoeres

FYI: Somewhat cute when small, yet not so when it gets larger!

Upon first entering the aquarium, may stay buried for days. Simply await its decision when to emerge. Once established, it will go to sleep under the sand and arise the next morning at almost the exact same time every day!

The aquarium should have small pieces of rocks for the wrasse to 'play' with in its daily search for prey.

Can greatly stir bottom sandbeds creating large clouds of sand being dispensed in many directions.

Smaller tankmates are at risk of being attacked or harassed as this species grows to adulthood.

One male per aquarium.

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: Larger, active and moderately aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Temperature Range: 74 - 82°F (23 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Halichoeres scapularis (Zigzag Wrasse)
Photo © John Randall
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