Mystery Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus ocellatus): Breeding Notes

Pseudocheilinus ocellatus, the mystery wrasse, is a secretive lined wrasse not bred in captivity. Like its relatives it is a pelagic spawner with planktonic larvae.

Overview

Pseudocheilinus ocellatus, the mystery wrasse, belongs to the same genus of lined wrasses as the eight-line and four-line species. It is an Indo-Pacific, reef-associated carnivore that shelters among rockwork and is valued in the trade as a pest controller. Documented reproductive data are sparse for this secretive fish.

Sexing

As a protogynous hermaphrodite the mystery wrasse begins life as female and a dominant individual transforms into the terminal male, which grows largest and most colourful. The species' shy, cave-dwelling habit makes reliable visual sexing difficult.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Like its relatives the mystery wrasse spawns by forming a brief pair that rises off the bottom to release eggs and milt into open water. Because the fish is solitary and secretive, courtship is rarely observed and difficult to elicit in a confined system.

Egg & Fry Care

The fertilised eggs are pelagic and drift away with the current, hatching into a planktonic larval stage. No reliable home protocol exists for capturing and rearing these larvae, so aquarium animals are collected from the wild.

Common Challenges

Intolerance of other lined wrasses, a reclusive temperament and broadcast pelagic eggs combine to make captive reproduction impractical. Pairs are hard to establish, and the dispersing larvae cannot be reared with typical home equipment.