Saltwater
Rockmover wrasse
Novaculichthys taeniourus
Labridae, Cheilininae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 30 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 648 liters
- Diet
- Missing
Know what is missing? Suggest it in the app.
Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in American Samoa, Australia, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and 43 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Inhabit semi-exposed reef flats and lagoon and seaward reefs. Common in areas of mixed sand, and rubble that are subject to mild surge. Benthopelagic. Juveniles shallow on rubble amongst large bommies or protected open patches on reef crests and swim as if were a leaf floating along the bottom; large adults move along over large reef section, usually in pairs and typically turn or shift large pieces of rubble or debris that they grab and pull with their mouth or push over with their snout. Often, while one works the piece, the other grabs exposed prey. They are sometimes called rock-mover wrasse, but they don't move real rocks. Highly territorial. Feed on mollusks, sea urchins, brittle stars, polychaetes, and crabs; feeding is done by overturning large rocks to expose target preys. The young imitate drifting masses of algae. Marketed fresh. Minimum depth reported from Ref. 30874.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Hemipteronotus taeniourus
- Hemipteronotus taeniurus
- Julis bifer
- Labrus taeniours
- Labrus taeniourus
- Novaculichthys bifer
In other languages
- Dragegylte
- Bar-cheeked wrasse, Carpet wrasse, Dragon wrasse, Masked wrasse, Olive-scribbled wrasse, Reindeer wrasse, Rockmover, Tahiti sand wrasse, Wrasse
Articles
All articles
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
From freshwater to saltwater3 min read
What is different in a saltwater aquarium: salt, refractometer, live rock and corals. An introduction for anyone thinking of giving it a try.