Cheilinus bimaculatus

(Valenciennes, 1840)

Twospot Wrasse

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to Hawaiian and Marquesan Islands, north to Southern Japan and south to Vanuatu.

Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits deep lagoons and outer reefs slopes and usually found at depths between 6 – 300 feet (2– 90 m) where it feeds on benthic hard-shelled invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade having a mottled red and white body and fins.

Even thought the smallest in this genus, its best maintained in fish-only aquariums, which should provide hiding places and lots of open swimming area. If wanting an aquarium with moderately aggressive tankmates, this species should be the first to be placed into the aquarium. Should the aquarium have peaceful species, this fish should be the last to be added.

As to diet, products such as marine fish and crustacean flesh, clams, and other marine meaty foods should make up the majority of their diet and be enriched and chopped into fine pieces and fed until it no longer consumes the food, then not fed again for two to three days.

May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium and if so, (if small live marine fish are not available) live glass/grass shrimp, live earth worms, small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs and/or live guppies/mollies may be needed to sustain the fish.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Labridae

Genus: Cheilinus

FYI: Will eat smaller fishes and also snails, tubeworms, ornamental shrimps, crabs, brittle stars, sea stars and urchins.

Usually sleep in caves and crevices.

Hardy species. One per aquarium

Will disturb sandbeds by blowing jets of water into it to find buried prey.

A consumer of large amounts of food at one time and can go days without feeding again.

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: Moderately aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5