Hawaiian Saddle Wrasse Care Guide
Thalassoma duperrey is a reef wrasse endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll, reaching about 28 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Thalassoma duperrey, the saddle wrasse, is a marine wrasse of the family Labridae. According to FishBase and Wikipedia, it is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll in the Eastern Central Pacific, where it is one of the most common reef fishes. Adults show a dark blue-green head followed by an orange band and a blue-green body. In Hawaii it is known as hīnālea.
Taxonomy
- Family: Labridae
- Genus: Thalassoma
- Scientific name: Thalassoma duperrey (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from clear lagoon and seaward reefs, where it lives benthopelagically over coral, rock and rubble. It is usually found at depths of 5-25 m. Wikipedia notes that individuals sleep buried in sandy burrows on the reef.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 400 L (about 105 gal)
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Maximum length: about 28 cm TL (FishBase)
- Lifespan: 8-15 years
Diet
The saddle wrasse is a carnivore (FishBase trophic level 3.3) that feeds mainly on benthic animals. Wikipedia lists worms, molluscs, shrimps and other crustaceans, which it handles with canine teeth and pharyngeal crushing bones. Juveniles, and sometimes adults, act as cleaners, removing parasites from larger fishes.
Compatibility
The species is semi-aggressive and active, swimming in the middle water column during the day. It is best kept with robust tank mates such as tangs, sturdy wrasses and cardinalfishes, and is reported as plant-safe. Overly aggressive triggerfishes should be avoided.
Breeding
FishBase describes a protogynous life history with sex reversal completed in 8-12 weeks. Spawning occurs in aggregations or in pairs, with terminal males much larger than females. Captive breeding is considered an expert-level challenge.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2008).
Hawaiian Saddle Wrasse Breeding Guide (Thalassoma duperrey)
Overview
The Hawaiian saddle wrasse (Thalassoma duperrey) is a Labridae wrasse endemic to Hawaii and Johnston Atoll, where it is very common on reefs at depths of about 5 to 25 m. It reaches roughly 28 cm in total length. Adults have a dark blue-green head followed by a dull orange band, with magenta arrows along the body; terminal males add a white bar around the orange band and a crescent-shaped tail.
Sexing
Terminal-phase males are recognised by the white bar bordering the orange band and the crescent-shaped caudal fin, while juveniles carry a dark stripe from head to tail and function as cleaners. The genus Thalassoma comprises protogynous wrasses, so colour phase tracks social and developmental status rather than offering a fixed individual sex marker; the consulted sources do not give a numeric sex-change threshold for this species.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As an oviparous member of Thalassoma the Hawaiian saddle wrasse is a pelagic broadcast spawner, releasing gametes into the water column so that fertilised eggs drift away as plankton, consistent with the genus spawning mode. The consulted sources do not specify a precise captive spawning trigger for this species.
Egg & Fry Care
Fertilised eggs are pelagic and hatch into planktonic larvae that disperse in open water. This larval phase is the central obstacle to captive rearing, as the larvae are minute and require live planktonic food not available at scale in a home tank. No home-aquarium fry-rearing data exist for the species.
Common Challenges
Adults scavenge worms, molluscs, shells and crustaceans, crushing prey with canine teeth and pharyngeal bones, so the species is not reef-safe for invertebrates. Its large size and pelagic larval ecology make home spawning impractical, and it remains a wild-caught fish in the trade.