Striated Wrasse

Common name: Striated Wrasse, Scarlet Pin Stripe, Secretive Wrasse
Scientific name: Pseudocheilinus evanidus
Max size: 3 in / 7.5 cm
pH: 8.1-8.4
Salinity: 1.020-1.025
Temperature: 72-78ºF (22-26°C)

The Striated wrasse is a stunning little fish. In addition to the name Striated wrasse, it is also know as Scarlet pin stripe wrasse and Secretive wrasse. It has a maroon or red body with faint stripes running along its body. The lower part of the head is yellow and a white stripe is running just beneath the mouth.

The Striated wrasse is a solitary fish and it is often best to keep just a single fish in the aquarium. It is however often possible to hold a couple of fish or a harem group together in a large marine aquarium. This species can be rather timid and shy and it is therefore often best to introduce this species first to the aquarium before any other wrasses or similar fish. The Striated wrasse is docile towards other species but can sometimes be aggressive towards some of the friendlier wrasse species. It can be kept with most small friendly fish species.

Striated wrasse is very suitable for reef setups as they are 100% reef safe and will help the fish keeper by eating unwanted organisms like pyramidellid snails, commensal flatworms, and bristle worms.

Striated wrasses should be introduced slowly into your aquarium and it is best to allow 4 hours of acclimatization before releasing them. Once released, the Striated wrasse will usually swim directly down to the bottom of the tank and bury itself. It can take days before you see your wrasse again but don’t worry –  this is normal. As they becomes more and more at home in your aquarium they will spend less and less time buried, but a Striated wrasse will always bury itself to sleep and when it feels threatened.

The Striated wrasse originates from the Indo Pacific Ocean and they can be found from the Red Sea down to South Africa, and eastwards to the Hawaiian and Tuamoto islands. It can be encountered as far north as the Izu Islands of Japan and as far south as Australia.

Striated Wrasse care and aquarium setup:

The Striated wrasse is a small species that can be kept in a small marine setup up in a 30 gallon /120 L aquarium. It is very important to decorate the aquarium so that there are a lot of caves and other hiding places among live rock. The fish becomes very shy and you might almost never see it if it isn't provided with enough hiding places. The bottom of the aquarium should be covered with at least 2 inches / 5 centimeters of fine grained sand in which the fish can bury itself. The Striated wrasse prefers a well lit aquarium but appriciates if there are a few shaded places as well. Keep the water quality high and the water parameters stable.

The Striated wrasse is like most other wrasses an excellent jumper and it is important to cover the tank well so that they don't jump out.

This species is best kept in a reef aquarium but can also be kept in a "FOWLR" aquarium.

Ideal conditions for the Striated wrasse is pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025, and temperature 72-78ºF (22-26°C).

Feeding Striated Wrasse

The Striated wrasse is a carnivore species. It is easy to feed in an aquarium and will usually accept flake food and marine pellets after some training. They should be feed a varied diet consisting of finely chopped sea food and marine pellets complemented with different types of live and frozen food. Feed you Striated wrasse 3-4 times a day.

Breeding Striated Wrasse

We have no information on breeding and sexing Striated wrasse.

Wrasse Articles:

Bird Wrasse – Gomphosus varius
Dragon Wrasse  - Novaculichthys taeniourus
Harliquin Tuskfish – Coerodon fasciatus
Hogfish - Information about Hogfish
Neon Wrasse – Halichoeres melanurus
Ornate Wrasse – Halichoeres ornatissimus
Queen Coris – Coris frerei
Radient Wrasse – Halichoeres iridis
Spanish Hogfish – Bodianus rufus
Yellow Coris – Halichoeres chrysus

Line Wrasses:
Fourline Wrasse – Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia
Sixline Wrasse – Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
Eightline Wrasse – Pseudocheilinus octotaenia

Fairy Wrasses:
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse – Cirrhilabrus exquisitus
Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse – Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Scott's Fairy Wrasse – Cirrhilabrus scottorum
Solar Fairy Wrasse – Cirrhilabrus solorensis

Flasher Wrasses:
Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse – Paracheilinus carpenteri
Dot-and-Dash Flasher Wrasse – Paracheilinus lineopunctatus
Filamented Flasher Wrasse – Paracheilinus filamentosus
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse – Paracheilinus mccoskeri