Hoeven's Wrasse?

[Western_reefer]

I purchased a wrasse last night and I forgot the name of it. Can anyone ID this wrasse please? Not the best picture, but the best I could do for now. It looks like a Hoeven's Wrasse tho?
http://i54.*******.com/afixl0.jpg
http://i55.*******.com/2dufd6g.jpg

[blennielove]

Does it look like this one?

[Western_reefer]

Does it look like this one?

Yup! That's it! But mine has more darker blue/black on the tail.

[blennielove]

I downloaded that picture from WetWebMedia and Bob identified it as a Halichoeres melanurus...

[WuHT]

yours does look like a melanurus. Keep in mind that when searching for hoeven's wrasse on google you may look at the juvenile images, which could be different between adult females and males in a lot of wrasses.

[Korrine]

Males have more pronounced coloration.

This was my chica

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg200/kj23502/sw%20tank/PB150341.jpg

[rekn]

malemelanarus also have white stripes coming down the back vertically

[Western_reefer]

Its very hard to take a picture of the wrasse, so, I just took a video. Here is a link to the video.

View My Video (http://*******.com/m/dop3ee/2)

[Korrine]

thats a male melanurus. It has the same stripage, plus the spots on the back that seem to blur vertically downward from the top of it's back.

[rekn]

amazing fish - terminal halichores are real show stoppers!

[blennielove]

Congratulations on a beautiful and healthy Halichoeres melanurus!!! I would love to get one, but am afraid...you make it look so easy!
Best wishes!

[Korrine]

what are you afraid of?

[rekn]

they are pigs when it comes to food. i would say the only husbandry issue is that a cover is required.

[Western_reefer]

thats a male melanurus. It has the same stripage, plus the spots on the back that seem to blur vertically downward from the top of it's back.
Oh, okay. Thanks!! When I was looking at this Halichoeres melanurus wrasse I also saw a Leopard Wrasse for sale, I soooo wanted to get both, but I think my 28 gallon nano is too small for a Leopard Wrasse.


amazing fish - terminal halichores are real show stoppers!
Yeah, they sure are!


Congratulations on a beautiful and healthy Halichoeres melanurus!!! I would love to get one, but am afraid...you make it look so easy!
Best wishes!
Thanks!! What are you afraid of?


they are pigs when it comes to food. i would say the only husbandry issue is that a cover is required.
They sure are! It ate on the same day I got it! Yeah, I've got a very good and tight lid over the tank. ;)

[blennielove]

Hey Western Reefer, guess what???????
You DO have a Hoeven's wrasse!!!
I thought the name looked familiar somewhere then I was just looking at my favorite wrasses on LA, and then I saw "Hoeven's Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)"
I copied the link so you wouldn't think I was going crazy:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1379+2285&pcatid=2285

Many of you ask "what are you afraid of?" It's just my history with wrasses.
I had a lovely Cirrhilabrus solorensis for two years then I moved him from my 28 gallon nano to my 265 gallon reef, then everyone got ich because of a temperature drop. I lost him along with three fairies when I treated the tank with Quinine phosphate/ich. After that I purchased, oh, 9 wrasses which I lost 8 (3 exquisites: one to a mouth problem, one jumped out of my very covered egg crate, one had a swim bladder thing and I was feeding him by hand for a month, 2 mystery wrasses; one got beaten up by a second C. solorensis, then the solorensis acted really strange, hidding all the time then died, a pylei who also got swim bladder disease), the only wrasses I have alive now is a 1 and a half year old cleaner wrasse, a lubbock's who is tough as nails, and a possum wrasse! This is all in a span of one year. I have the 265 in hyposalinity right now, a 55 reef set up, a 28 gallon nano reef, two 8 gallon reef nanos, and a twenty gallon "correctional facility" for my unruly Lubbock (he picks on the possum wrasse).
Maybe by reading all of your success stories and learning from your experiences, I will get up the courage to get the wrasses again.
I will definitely share pictures then!

[Korrine]

Have you purchased your fish that had swim bladder from the same source?

[blennielove]

Have you purchased your fish that had swim bladder from the same source?

Hi Korrine!
Well, how did you guess? :idea:
Yes. I remember buying the pylei and one of the exquisites together. They were from the same LFS, same shipment of fish. But then, several months later, I bought a mystery wrasse, and again he had swim bladder issues but not quite the same as the other two. The first two started swimming like the second half of their bodies were paralyzed or bottom heavy but they continued to try to eat and responded to my presence, the mystery wrasse couldn't keep himself right side up only for a few days then died.
What are your thoughts?

[Western_reefer]

Hey Western Reefer, guess what???????
You DO have a Hoeven's wrasse!!!
I thought the name looked familiar somewhere then I was just looking at my favorite wrasses on LA, and then I saw "Hoeven's Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)"
I copied the link so you wouldn't think I was going crazy:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1379+2285&pcatid=2285

Many of you ask "what are you afraid of?" It's just my history with wrasses.
I had a lovely Cirrhilabrus solorensis for two years then I moved him from my 28 gallon nano to my 265 gallon reef, then everyone got ich because of a temperature drop. I lost him along with three fairies when I treated the tank with Quinine phosphate/ich. After that I purchased, oh, 9 wrasses which I lost 8 (3 exquisites: one to a mouth problem, one jumped out of my very covered egg crate, one had a swim bladder thing and I was feeding him by hand for a month, 2 mystery wrasses; one got beaten up by a second C. solorensis, then the solorensis acted really strange, hidding all the time then died, a pylei who also got swim bladder disease), the only wrasses I have alive now is a 1 and a half year old cleaner wrasse, a lubbock's who is tough as nails, and a possum wrasse! This is all in a span of one year. I have the 265 in hyposalinity right now, a 55 reef set up, a 28 gallon nano reef, two 8 gallon reef nanos, and a twenty gallon "correctional facility" for my unruly Lubbock (he picks on the possum wrasse).
Maybe by reading all of your success stories and learning from your experiences, I will get up the courage to get the wrasses again.
I will definitely share pictures then!
Yeah, thats where I found the name, on live aquaria. lol


Ah, sorry to hear, that really sucks.

[Korrine]

A bad supplier? That's what I was wondering...shop somewhere else?

[blennielove]

A bad supplier? That's what I was wondering...shop somewhere else?

I've been buying all my fishes there for the past 4 years. I seem to have no troubles with the other fishes, it's just with the wrasses and I was thinking of a bad supplier too. The last time I bought a wrasse from them was 9/28 and that is the possum I have, before then was the second mystery wrasse who died with the bladder issue and he was purchased on 7/31.
I'll ask them about their supplier when I go in there next time as they currently (well, last Saturday) had two melanurus (one of them eating pellets), one christmas wrasse, and a gorgeous Austrailian Scott's. Maybe they got a new supplier?

If they are not very good at sharing this information, then I was thinking of ordering them from LA or DD for a try.