Stethojulis bandanensis

(Bleeker, 1851)

Red Shoulder Wrasse

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Eastern Indian Ocean to western Australia including Christmas Islands, Cocos-Keeling and the Andaman Sea, then Japan to New South Wales and also the Eastern Pacific Ocean, California to the Galapagos Islands.

Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits reef flats and lagoons on seaward reefs and usually found at depths between 10 – 100 feet (3 – 30 m) where it feeds on benthic invertebrates.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade with the male often having a greenish belly, dark green back, with them divided with a dark green band, and a short red line just aft of the gill plate. Females are overall brownish.

This species and those in this genus ‘can’ be maintained in fish-only aquariums having a fine sand bed, (0.5 – 2.0 mm) and at least 4 inches deep, 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 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 those in this genus are not recommended for reef aquariums.

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

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Labridae

Genus: Stethojulis

FYI: With all of the above said, all in this genus are very difficult to maintain long term and they are better left in the wild!

Experience Level: Professional

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: Peaceful, yet larger

Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons

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

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5