Bluehead Wrasse

The Bluehead wrasse is a beautiful, outgoing wrasse. In the wild it cleans larger fish and feeds on small fish, bristleworms, and crustaceans. Even mantis shrimps are on the menu. It won’t eat live corals, but it will consume any shrimp, crabs, sessile invertebrates or marine worms such as feather dusters. This species is territorial, so be sure to condition any new fish before introducing them. Smaller, more peaceful fish will likely not survive when introduced to the bluehead wrasse. It typically only reaches 7″ in captivity, but some large males can reach up to 10″. The bluehead wrasse is variable in coloration depending on the sex and lifestage of the individual. Juveniles are white/cream and yellow with horizontal black bands running from nose to tail. These bands break up as they age. Males are green anteriorly with a blue head and contrasting white and black vertical bands just behind the head.