Bluehead Wrasse Care Guide
Thalassoma bifasciatum is a Caribbean reef wrasse and protogynous hermaphrodite; terminal males show a blue head and green body.
Overview
Thalassoma bifasciatum, the bluehead wrasse, is a reef fish of the western Atlantic and Caribbean. Its appearance changes with life stage and sex: juveniles and initial-phase fish show yellow and white bodies with stripes, while terminal-phase males develop a blue head, black-and-white bars and a green body that give the species its name.
Taxonomy
- Family: Labridae
- Genus: Thalassoma
- Scientific name: Thalassoma bifasciatum
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the western Atlantic: Bermuda, Florida, the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and throughout the Caribbean Sea to northern South America. It is reef-associated, occurring at depths of 0-40 metres, typically 3-30 metres, in waters of about 23-26 °C.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 350 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity / hardness: reef-typical (carbonate hardness 8-12)
- Substrate: sand
- Lifespan: up to ~3 years in the wild; longer reported in aquaria
Diet
The species is a carnivore. FishBase notes it feeds mainly on zooplankton and small benthic animals and may also take ectoparasites from other fishes. In aquaria it accepts meaty marine foods offered two or more times daily.
Compatibility
The bluehead wrasse is active and semi-aggressive. Juveniles act as cleaner fish on reefs, though Wikipedia notes they avoid cleaning piscivores such as moray eels and groupers. In aquaria it suits robust tankmates such as tangs and cardinalfish; very aggressive triggers are best avoided.
Breeding
The species is a protogynous sequential hermaphrodite: females can permanently change into males, with sex reversal completing over a few weeks (FishBase). It spawns in aggregations (leks); aquarium breeding is regarded as expert-level and is rarely accomplished.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2008), per FishBase.