Silver Belly Wrasse Large

The Silver Belly Wrasse, sometimes also known as the Canary-top Wrasse, makes a bright and fascinating addition to reef aquaria where no ornamental shrimp, snails, or fanworms are present. The tank should be mature and furnished with plenty of living rock to provide feeding opportunities, shady hiding places and visual barriers. There should be a deep sand bed of around 3” (7.5cm) or so, in order that the wrasse may bury itself at night or if startled. It is best to keep either a single specimen, or, if the tank is large enough, a good sized group of 5 or 6 individuals (introduced simultaneously). Do not house together with any closely related species and avoid docile tankmates such as firefish, flasher wrasses, fairy wrasses etc as they tend to occupy the same niches as the Silver Belly Wrasse and aggression may be shown towards them. Powerful filtration and circulation with a high level of oxygenation are a must, as are tight fitting coverslides; these fish are expert jumpers. Silver Belly Wrasse can often be observed searching for small live foods such as commensal flatworms, pyramidellid snails (clam parasites), urchins, tiny isopods, and small bristleworms.

Feed a variety of meaty foods in small amounts several times per day, including Mysis shrimp, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, finely chopped krill/ cockle/ mussel/ prawns/ squid/ clam/ fish flesh etc, plus flake food.

This species has not been bred in the home aquarium.