Ornamented Wrasse (Halichoeres ornatissimus)

Ornamented Wrasse Halichoeres ornatissimus
Name	Ornamented Wrasse
Name Lat.	Halichoeres ornatissimus
Family	Wrasses
Family lat.	Labridae
Order	Wrasses & Relatives
Order lat.	Labriformes
Origin	Western Pacific
Habitat	Lagoons, seaward reefs
Diet	Carnivore
pH	8,1-8,4
Hardness	8-10 °KH
Behavior	Peaceful
Keeping	Individual, pair
Reef Compatible	With caution
Care Level	Moderate
Life Span	5-7 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	18 cm
Temperature	24-26 °C
Salinity	33-36 ‰
Aquarium	~ 500 l
US Units
Size	7"
Temperature	75-79 °F
Salinity	1.020-1.025 sg
Aquarium	~ 130 gal

Distribution and habitat

The range of Halichoeres ornatissimus is in the western Pacific Ocean, extending from the Great Barrier Reef to southern Japan and Hawaii. They live there in lagoons and on outer reefs with abundant coral growth and sandy areas at depths of 4-15m.

Maintenance

They need a well-structured aquarium with plenty of swimming space and a reef structure (hiding, resting and retreat possibilities) with living stones that act like a biological filter as well as sandy areas (no coral rubble!) for burrowing. Only lime-rich, heavy metal-free substrates may be used as substrate.

Filters, skimmers and heaters are necessary to ensure water quality, as well as pumps to simulate tides, swells and bottom currents. Lighting must match the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals

Salinity: 33-36 ‰	pH value: 8.1-8.4
Carbonate hardness: 8-10 °KH	Nitrate content: 2-8 mg/l
phosphate content: 0.01-0.1 mg/l	nitrite content: 0.0-0.05 mg/l

For salinity, an average value should be aimed for, which may only vary slightly by +/- 0.5 ‰. Ammonia and ammonium must not be measurable. Special attention must be paid to constantly good water quality.

Diet

In nature, they feed on microorganisms living in the sand. The change of feed usually succeeds without problems. The food supply should consist of a commercially available, vitamin-enriched, frozen food mix or a combination of chopped shrimp and crab meat with live and frozen food, such as mysis, krill, bosmids and Artemia. High quality flake and granulated foods are also well accepted after an acclimation period.

It is recommended to feed small portions several times a day. This also reduces intra-species aggression and protects lower animals in the aquarium

Regular and varied feeding promotes health and increases resistance.

Behaviour and compatibility

The young fish, mostly females, are peaceful among themselves and can be kept without problems. With the sex change to male the aggression increases. Therefore, only one male should be kept alone or a pair. Towards other fish they behave peacefully.

Sex dimorphism

They are protogynous hermaphrodites, i.e. most males develop from functional females and are called "secondary males". They are more colorful than "primary males" (born as males). Females have two eyespots in the dorsal fin, which males lack.

Reproduction and breeding

There are no known reports of successful breeding in the aquarium.

Important

They are active swimmers, but will bury themselves in the sandy substrate overnight and when threatened.

It is recommended to keep these typical reef inhabitants together with corals and not to keep them in a fish-only aquarium. Care should be taken when keeping them together with tubeworms, snails and crabs, as these may be considered food

If different species are kept together, care should be taken to match the fish in terms of water quality and temperature requirements and social behavior, and to ensure that the setup meets the needs of all species kept together. New fish to be introduced must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Werner Winter; Image: petdata

Source: KUITER, DEBELIUS (2007): Atlas der Meeresfische: Die Fische an den Küsten der Weltmeere, Kosmos Verlag; ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF