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Related FAQs: Stethojulis Wrasses, Wrasses, Wrasse Selection, Wrasse Behavior, Wrasse Compatibility, Wrasse Feeding, Wrasse Diseases, Related Articles: The Diversity of Wrasses, Family Labridae, Cook Islands Wrasses, /The Conscientious Marine Aquarist The
Spastic Wrasses of the Genus Stethojulis | 
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| Bob Fenner | Stethojulis albovittata, Maldives |
The common name of this group is the Ribbon Wrasses, but if it were up to me I’d call them the "Beautiful Zoomers" for their bold coloration and spastic reef cruising; these fishes are constantly going 110%! Though Stethojulis are planktivorous and don’t get too large (most are about six inches long maximum) they do have one shortcoming: they rarely live for any time in captivity. They should only be tried in HUGE, well-established reef systems.
| Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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Stethojulis balteata (Quoy & Gaimard 1824), the Belted Wrasse (3), is an Hawaiian endemic. This is the most common and hardiest member of the genus, but still has a dismal survival rate. Two male pix and a female off of the Big Island. To six inches long. |  
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| Stethojulis bandanensis (Bleeker 1851), the Red-Shoulder Wrasse. Indo-Pacific, from eastern Africa to the tropical eastern Pacific coast. To six inches in length. Shown: Males in French Polynesia and S. Sulawesi. |  
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| Stethojulis strigiventer (Bennett 1832), the Stripebelly Wrasse. Females are actually striped on their abdomens. East Africa to Samoa, Micronesians. A male off of the Whitsundays in Queensland, Australia, and a nice grouping of females/initial phase individuals in S. Sulawesi. |  
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| Stethojulis trilineata (Bloch & Schneider 1801), the Three-Lined Wrasse. Indo-West Pacific; Maldives to north Australia, Palau, Samoa, southern Japan. To six inches in length. A washed-out male in captivity and one in S. Sulawesi shown. |  
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There are a few other Stethojulis species that enter the trade under their name or "misc." categories... None of them live for very long generally in captivity... they're just too active/spastic... requiring large, uncrowded settings. |
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