Bluespotted Tamarin Wrasse Care Guide
Anampses caeruleopunctatus is a wide-ranging Indo-Pacific wrasse; adults are dark with electric-blue spots and juveniles mimic floating leaves.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The bluespotted wrasse (Anampses caeruleopunctatus) is a wrasse of the family Labridae with a very wide Indo-Pacific range. Adults are dark with electric-blue spots over the body, and the species reaches about 42 cm. Juveniles mimic floating leaves by orienting and moving accordingly.
Taxonomy
- Family: Labridae
- Genus: Anampses
- Scientific name: Anampses caeruleopunctatus
- Described by Rüppell, 1829
Habitat
The species ranges from the South African coast through the Indian Ocean to Japan and Australia and east to Easter Island in the Pacific, but is absent from Hawaii. Adults prefer the surge zone on coral reefs and rocky coastlines at depths of about 3 to 30 m.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 600 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Maximum size: up to 42 cm
- Lifespan: 8-15 years
- Fine sand bed for burying
Diet
Anampses caeruleopunctatus is carnivorous and feeds on small benthic invertebrates taken from the substrate. As with other Anampses wrasses, a mature system with abundant live microfauna aids acclimation.
Compatibility
It is a peaceful, diurnal wrasse of the middle water column that buries in sand to rest. Calm tank mates suit it, and because it favours the surge zone, strong but varied water movement and a sand bed are recommended.
Reef compatibility
Anampses caeruleopunctatus does not harm corals, but it grazes small benthic invertebrates, so it is best regarded as reef-safe only with caution where ornamental micro-invertebrates are kept. Specific gravity 1.024-1.026, carbonate hardness 8-12 dKH.
Conservation status
The IUCN Red List assesses Anampses caeruleopunctatus as Least Concern. It is of minor importance to local fisheries and appears in the aquarium trade.
Anampses caeruleopunctatus (Bluespotted Tamarin) Breeding Guide
Overview
Anampses caeruleopunctatus, the Bluespotted Tamarin Wrasse, is a labrid of the Indo-West Pacific, ranging from the Red Sea and South Africa to Easter Island, north to Japan and south to Australia, and absent from Hawaii. FishBase gives a maximum total length of 42 cm over reefs at 3-30 m. It feeds on crustaceans, molluscs and polychaetes, and FishBase states it buries at night. The species is classified as oviparous with distinct pairing during breeding.
Sexing
Family Labridae is predominantly protogynous, with fish maturing as females and the largest becoming terminal-phase males. On that basis functional sex follows social rank, and reliable visual sexing for pairing is not practical at purchase, with the dominant individual tending to assume the male role.
Conditioning
FishBase notes that young fish eat small crustaceans and polychaetes, while adults take larger crustaceans, molluscs and polychaetes. As an Anampses, it needs frequent varied meaty feeds once established, in a large system. No conditioning protocol leading to captive spawning has been published.
Breeding Setup
No aquarium breeding setup exists. The fish requires a soft sand bed to bury into overnight and a large tank suited to a wrasse that can reach 42 cm. It spawns over open substrate where pairs release gametes into the water column rather than at a fixed nest.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As a labrid, A. caeruleopunctatus broadcast-spawns pelagic eggs with no parental care, and FishBase records distinct pairing during breeding. The triggers are reef-scale environmental cues rather than tank parameters, so spontaneous spawning is not expected in captivity.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs and the resulting larvae are pelagic, drifting in the plankton until settlement. The very small first-feeding larval stages cannot be reared in home aquaria, which is the central reason the species is not captive-bred.
Common Challenges
The combination of an obligatory sand bed, a large adult size, broadcast pelagic spawning and protogynous social biology makes purposeful breeding impractical. A. caeruleopunctatus should be regarded as a wild-collected display fish rather than a breeding subject.