Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris) Care Guide
A beautiful wrasse covered in intricate leopard-like spots that change pattern between males and females. Buries in sand at night. Requires an established tank with abundant live rock and a sand bed.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Macropharyngodon meleagris is a species in the family Labridae. A beautiful wrasse covered in intricate leopard-like spots that change pattern between males and females. Buries in sand at night. Requires an established tank with abundant live rock and a sand bed. Can be finicky about feeding initially but becomes hardier once acclimated.
Taxonomy
- Family: Labridae
- Genus: Macropharyngodon
- Scientific name: Macropharyngodon meleagris
- Other names: Guinea Fowl Wrasse
- Origin: Indo-Pacific
Habitat
Widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific from the Cocos-Keeling Islands to the Tuamotus and from southern Japan to New Caledonia. Inhabits coral-rich lagoons and seaward reefs at depths of 2-30 m. Buries itself in the sand to sleep and during the early acclimation phase, requiring deep fine sand in captivity.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 200 L
- Temperature: 24-27 °C
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate
- Adult size: 10-14 cm
- Lifespan: 5-8 years
- Difficulty: intermediate
Diet
Classified as carnivore. Recommended feeding frequency: 2x daily. In captivity, offer a varied diet appropriate to the species — quality prepared foods supplemented with frozen or live items of suitable size.
Compatibility
- Temperament: peaceful
- Swimming level: bottom
- Compatible tank mates: Clownfish, Tangs, Firefish Goby
- Avoid with: Other Leopard Wrasses, Aggressive Fish
Reef compatibility
Generally classified as reef-safe: does not feed on stony or soft corals, tridacnid clams or ornamental shrimps under normal conditions.
Breeding
- Breeding strategy: egg-scatterer
- Breeding difficulty: advanced
Leopard Wrasse Breeding Guide
Overview
The leopard wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris) is native to the eastern Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, living on coral reefs from the surface to about 30 m and reaching 15 cm in standard length. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Home breeding is not established; the following describes wild biology and the family's reproductive mode.
Sexing
Males and females show distinct coloration patterns, and juveniles differ again, displaying dominating light colours and eyespots that blend with soft-coral habitats to avoid predation. As a wrasse, the species is a protogynous hermaphrodite in which a male typically develops from a female.
Conditioning
No documented home conditioning protocol exists for this species. The fish buries in the sand bed at night and when stressed, so a deep sand bed and an established, mature system are part of normal husbandry rather than a spawning trigger.
Spawning Behaviour & Trigger
As a member of the family Labridae, the leopard wrasse is a broadcast spawner that releases planktonic eggs into the water column, which are dispersed by currents; adults provide no parental care.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs and larvae are pelagic, so there is no nest or brood to tend and no practical way to rear the planktonic larvae in a reef aquarium.
Common Challenges
Leopard wrasses can be finicky feeders on import, demanding an established tank with live rock and a sand bed simply to be kept alive. Together with broadcast spawning and unrearable larvae, this makes intentional reproduction unachievable for home aquarists.