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The Leopard Wrasses is the common appellation tied to these fishes for their "spotted" and mottled appearance, as well as their large pharyngeal teeth. All ten species are small (four to six inches) reef dwellers that can only be kept for any period of time in full-blown reef systems. Even then, the best any of the group can rate is a (2). Most are lost to simple starvation, stress and the rigors of collection, holding in small volumes, and transport. One might assume with the common name
'Leopard' that the Wrasses of this genus would be 'tough as
big cats'. Such is not the case unfortunately. These fishes are
named for their prominent pharyngeal teeth (hence the scientific name
Macropharyngodon'¦ 'Large, throat, teeth') and
mottled/spotted appearance of most the species. Actually, I'd throw
in mention of their stealthy, stalking feline behavior as well.
The ten or so described species of Leopard Wrasses are all small (4-6
inches overall maximum), small-invertebrate feeders of sand-burrowing
propensity, shyness overall that really can only be kept healthy and
happy for any real length of time in good-sized established reef
systems. Even provided these conditions, more than half of specimens
sold die within a few weeks of capture; mostly due to the vagaries of
collection, cumulative stress, and placement into untenable situations
proving too much for them. Here I'll delve into this last, and
proffer input re selecting healthy individuals, and assuring their
proper care. Macropharyngodon Species on
Parade! Here are the most commonly available, though none
are on offer at all times.
Behavior:
I have alluded above to these fishes penchant for zooming about their
captive and natural reefs continuously by day. Do know that they are
notable for burrowing and staying under the surface of sand substrates
if frightened and often during night. We should re-emphasize this
behavior'¦ your new Macropharyngodon may well dive into the
sand on first introduction and stay there for days. This flight may not
necessarily be from fright, but just an adjustment to the fish's
circadian rhythm'¦ having been caught, shipped from several
time zones away in just recent days. Other than looking about in the
floor to discern if it has made its way out somehow, I urge patience,
NOT stirring the sand up to find your errant wrasse. Rest assured, with
time, it will re-surface. Compatibility,
Reef-Ready:
Macropharyngodon wrasses rarely harass invertebrates, rather than quite
small worms, mollusks and crustaceans, and get along with all other
reef fishes, with the exception at times of members of their own genus.
If placing more than one, you are advised to place them all at once, or
barring this, to introduce only a single male per system, and smaller
initial phase individual/female in turn. To be clear, only one male
should reside in any given tank, unless it is of huge volume; and only
with one female unless the system is hundreds of gallons in volume.
Most of the time, these fishes are encountered in the wild in groupings
of smallish females w/ perhaps a few sexually undifferentiated young
swimming about with them in tow. On occasion, if you have good vision
and are keenly looking about, you may see a male (they are wary of
divers), perhaps with a larger female in
association.
Occasionally, similar-appearing wrasse species do conflict with
Leopards, with some Lined wrasses (Pseudocheilinus), Thalassoma, Coris
spp. and some Halichoeres spp. and often-enough, Hawkfishes
(Cirrhitids), and some Dottybacks (Pseudochromids) notably fighting
with them for space. If these groups of fishes must be stocked with
Macropharyngodon species, the leopard wrasse/s should be placed first.
Stocking/Selection:
Leopard wrasses can be quite hardy; given the availability/selection of
initially healthy specimen/s, suitable setting, and provision of
nutritious foods. They're perhaps well-compared with Mandarin
Dragonets, being subject to too-easy starvation if not provided with
the right types of foods on a regular basis. IF you doubt the
sustainability of your substrates in producing such live foods, I
strongly encourage you utilize a good-completely nutritious and
palatable prepared staple. My favorite among all others is New Life
Spectrum small (1 mm.) pellets. Yes, this is not a mis-print and is a
(rare for me) endorsement of this excellent line.
For picking out good ones, look for clean 'full' bodies (not
thin), a lack of torn fins, clear/bright eyes, regular breathing and
swimming behavior, and no obvious damage about the mouth'¦ and
the time-tested 'acid test' that the fish/es are
feeding'¦ on foods you can/will be offering.
Smaller, initial phase (female) individuals adapt much more readily
than already-male larger specimens. These last almost always ship
poorly, being too 'high strung' to be confined in small spaces.
Leopard wrasses I class with small blennies, Gobioids as best to not
leave at the store/supplier too long'¦ more than a few days at
most, perhaps even 'picking up' on arrival if practical. The
important take-home point here is to make sure you don't procure
too-thin specimens; as these rarely rally, return to a good index of
fitness.
Systems:
Heed these words: Deep-fine-sand bed, well-established reef system,
with copious amounts of small crustaceans, worms (and likely mollusks
and more). These fishes are avid burrowers, hence the need for finer,
rounder (not angular like silicates) sand'¦ Sugar fine
aragonitic substrate is ideal, with sharper, larger grades causing
stress, damage, secondary infection and death. Wholesalers often
'get by' offering a small tray of such sand'¦
They require stable, optimized chemical,
physical water conditions'¦ and a good deal of substrate
derived live food items to subsist on. The operation of a vibrant,
food-culturing refugium of size is a bonus in their care for sure.
Systems under a hundred gallons, with less than a hundred pounds of
good quality (not too old, depauperate) live rock need not apply. The
likelihood of success in keeping Leopard wrasses in smaller systems is
too small. They need the room to move, have a sense of being able to
get away, and the surface area for foraging.
And a remarking re the need to completely cover the top of the system,
not just have the water level down a few inches; as these Labrids can
really launch themselves out of systems w/ small-enough openings
topside. Foods/Feeding/Nutrition:
The absolute need for nutritious foods has been mentioned enough here.
If you can't provide live items, frozen-defrosted meaty foods of
small, bite-size (Mysids, Cyclops, Copepods'¦) should be
offered a few times (2, 3 plus) as well as small pelleted food. To
acquaint unfamiliar fishes with the Spectrum, successively mix some
higher percentage of the dried sinking food in with other offerings.
I've yet to see a fish that didn't learn to take this food in
relatively short time. Disease/Health:
Perhaps anathema to what you've heard others espouse, I would not
quarantine Macropharyngodon. There's much more to be potentially
lost than gained through added stress, likely damage (from the fish
dashing about) and extended non-feeding by delaying Leopard wrasse
placement in permanent main/display settings. If anything, I might, if
the specimen/s appear 'strong enough', subject them to a few
minutes pH-adjusted freshwater bath (sans formalin), to 'knock
off' possible external parasites.
Perhaps related to their adaptations to sand burrowing, these fishes
rarely suffer from the usual external Protozoan scourges of tropical
reef fishes. If they're to be treated for such, quinine compounds
are strongly advised, rather than dye, metal salts, or
formalin-containing products. Reproduction:
Unlike many Labrid genera, Leopard wrasses are easily distinguished as
to sex; and terminal phase (male) individuals in good health are quite
striking in appearance; see Dr. Randall's images for species on
Fishbase.org. Males are larger in body size, a bit too much more
colorful, and definitely much shyer than females. Like other wrasses,
they are protogynic synchronous hermaphrodites'¦ First
becoming functioning females from sexually undifferentiated juveniles
and then becoming males. Spawning events in captivity in hobbyist and
institutional set-ups have been recorded, though no young have yet to
be raised in captivity. Cloze:
Times were, virtually all Macropharyngodon wrasses imported died within
days to weeks of collection; and still likely more than half don't
survive the travails of collection, holding, shipping or meet their
maker through improper housing and/or lack of available amounts of
useful foodstuffs. Despite all this, you can successfully keep these
fishes given practice at selecting good individuals and providing for
their basic care as outlined here. Yes, the 'odds are not
great' with keeping these fishes, but their collection, holding and
shipping have greatly improved in recent years, so your likelihood of
being able to buy not-doomed specimens is greatly
improved. Should you have a very well-established,
large, healthy reef tank, and are looking for a small, colorful,
interesting-behaviorally fish addition, do consider the leopard
wrasses. Bibliography/Further
Reading: Baensch, Hans & Helmut Debelius. 1994. Marine Atlas, v.1.
MERGUS, Germany. 1215pp. Emmens, Cliff W. 1985. Wrasses. TFH 7/85. Kuiter, Rudie H.
& Helmut Debelius. 1994. Southeast Asia Tropical Fish Guide. Tetra-Press. Melle,
Germany. 321pp. Michael, Scott W. 1992. Leopard wrasses. SeaScope vol.9,
Spring 92. & AFM 8/99 Randall, John E. 1978. A revision of the Indo-Pacific Labrid
genus Macropharyngodon, with descriptions of five new species.
Bull. Mar. Sci. 28: 742-770 Scheimer, Gregory. 1997. Wrasses for the reef aquarium, pt.s
1, 2. FAMA 11, 12/97. |
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