Six Line Wrasse

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Semi-aggressive   • Maximum Size: 4"
• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons   • Water Conditions: 72-79° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
• Diet: Carnivore   • Origin: Indo-Pacific
• Family: Labridae   • Species: Wrasse   • Aquarium Type: Reef Compatible

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The Six Line Wrasse is a popular is a popular Wrasse species among marine aquarists keeping either reef aquariums or FOWLR community aquariums. Six Line Wrasse have very vibrant coloration with 6 distinct blue horizontal blue lines over top of a base orange body with a green tail fin. Six Line Wrasse are more than just a colorful fish species, but a very active species as well.

They will spend much of their time swimming about the aquarium darting in and out of rocky caves and crevices looking for small food items on which to prey. Their active swimming style makes them almost as popular with marine aquarium hobbyists as their vibrant coloration. In the wild Six Line Wrasse live in and around reefs and rocky outcrops throughout the Indo-Pacific all the way to Fiji.

Six Line Wrasse are considered a "reef safe" Wrasse species, that is unlikely to bother most corals. They will generally spend their time hunting for small micro faunae, small crustaceans, flatworms or bristle worms. It is their propensity for eating bristle worms that has made them a sought after species for may aquarists who are trying to keep bristle worm populations in check.

While generally a peaceful species, Six Line Wrasse will show aggression towards other of their own kind (unless a mated pair) and other similarly sized and shaped fish species. They are much more likely to show aggression towards others if the aquarium does not have enough live rock to provide them a suitable territory and hunting ground. It is best to keep this species with plenty of live rock and horizontal swimming room, so that they can patrol a suitable territory and limit aggression towards others.

The Six Line Wrasse also benefits from the presence of a refugium, as a strong population of copepods, amphipods and other micro faunae will provide them an excellent food source and curb aggression. Like most Wrasse, the Six Line Wrasse is quite capable of defending itself against larger more boisterous species as its speed and maneuverability make it a difficult species to pick on or bully.

Six Line Wrasse are very active feeders that will generally spend the majority of the day cruising up and down the reef looking for food items on which to feed. In an aquarium with a sufficient population of micro faunae, the Six Line Wrasse will need only supplemental feedings of various meaty foods. Their overall diet should consist of a variety of meaty items including: vitamin enriched meaty frozen preparations, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp or flake or pellet foods formulated for carnivores.