Wrasse Fish


Wrasses are brightly colored fish numbering over 500 documented species. All members of the family are found in saltwater environments. In the wild they make their home amongst the coral and rocks found in warm coastal shallows.

Wrasse Behaviours


Wrasse are known as cleaner fish because they pick the parasites and loose skin from larger species. This provides the fish with sustenance and also offers a ticket to safety. The large predatory fish they service will leave them alone, even when they swim into their mouth and gills.

In a natural setting the cleaning process generally occurs in one of two ways. Usually the wrasses will all congregate in one spot and wait for the parasite infested fish to visit them. Others specializing in highly territorial species will make the trip to visit them.

Another interesting behavior of this fish is it's ability to change in sex. In a group the largest fish will assume the role of dominant male. All other fish will remain female until such time as the colony leader passes on.

When it comes time for the wrasse to sleep it will find a rock nook and cocoon itself in slime. Here it will rest until the new day arrives. The shed slime coating floats to the surface where it can be easily removed from the aquarium.

Wrasses In The Aquarium


Members of this fish group can be as large as two meters and as tiny as several centimeters. Though the wrasse comes in a range of sizes it is the smaller species that are best in reef aquariums. This is because they are unlikely to damage coral if they bump into it as they swim.

Feeding cleaner wrasse is essential when they are pets. Cleaning fish will just not offer enough food to sustain them.The wrasse must adapt to regular aquarium foods when captive. Most species make this change easily when provided foods such as frozen brine shrimp. With not enough fish to feed from wrasses will also start cleaning small crustaceans from the coral and rocks.

One of the most widely found wrasses in the wild and aquariums is labroides dimidiatus or the blue cleaner wrasse. These fish have horizontal bands of blue, black and light yellow. Their mouth is tapered and the body is long and streamlined.


Wrasses For Sale

With so many species of wrasse there are many varieties sold for aquariums. What is available one week may not be seen the next as collectors may only come across some species occasionally. For this reason. People can also buy wrasse fish from the more regular species. Depending on the scarceness and demand for the wrasse you buy, it will range in price from around ten dollars to over one hundred.

The wrasse fish for sale below are all current eBay listings.

$29.99
End Date: Friday May-24-2013 11:50:38 PDT
Buy It Now for only: $29.99
 FEMALE TAILSPOT WRASSE 2.5" (Halichoeres melanurus)Live Saltwater Fish hoeven's
$29.99
$39.99
End Date: Friday May-24-2013 15:04:52 PDT
Buy It Now for only: $39.99
$59.99
End Date: Saturday May-25-2013 2:39:35 PDT
Buy It Now for only: $59.99
$24.99
End Date: Tuesday May-28-2013 14:16:05 PDT
Buy It Now for only: $24.99
$8.99
End Date: Thursday May-30-2013 3:42:34 PDT
Buy It Now for only: $8.99
$9.99
End Date: Thursday May-30-2013 15:21:43 PDT
Buy It Now for only: $9.99