Redtail Tamarin Wrasse / Anampses chrysocephalus

[swannyson7]

SCIENTIFIC NAME - Anampses chrysocephalus

COMMON NAME – Redtail Tamarin Wrasse

SIZE – 7 in (18 cm)

MIN. AQUARIUM SIZE – 90 gal (341 L)

FOODS AND FEEDING - It often refuses to eat in captivity, but if you can get it to eat it should be fed a variety of high quality meaty marine foods. It normally eats small invertebrates, especially small crustaceans, it finds on the rockwork.

REEF COMPATIBILITY – With Caution

CAPTIVE CARE – The Redtail Tamarin wrasse is the female of the species Anampses chrysocephalus, the male goes by the name of Psychedelic Wrasse. This fish will fight with members of its own species, but is peaceful towards other fish. The Psychedelic wrasse doesn’t have a record of success in the home aquarium. If you are going to attempt to keep this difficult fish, you should have a large aquarium with plenty of rock and small crustaceans for it to eat. They also require a sand bed of at least 3 inches to burrow in at night. Wrasses are known jumpers so the aquarium top should be covered.

 

[Djtonton]

This fish will bury themself in the sand the first time i got this guy i though i lost him tore my whole tank apart to find out they bury themselves in the sand hahah

 

[A. grandis]

Hi Djtonton,
How long did you keep that wrasse alive?
What did you feed it?
More info?

Anyone else have tried this fish?
Thanks.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have 2 that I have had for 3+ yrs. It started as 4, but over time the 2nd dominant one killed the 2 below it in the hierarchy. In January of this year the dominant one transitioned to male.

They eat pellets, mysis, spirulina brine, fish eggs, reef plankton and pick at pods all day.

There is only about 1.5" of sand in the tank.

 

[saltyhog]

TJ how are they with inverts...specifically shrimp/snails? One of the most beautiful wrasses to me (and I actually like the females a little better than the males....subtle beauty).

 

[eatbreakfast]

TJ how are they with inverts...specifically shrimp/snails? One of the most beautiful wrasses to me (and I actually like the females a little better than the males....subtle beauty).

Mine ignore shrimp, crabs, and snails, but all my sand-burying wrasses have always left them alone.

 

[mtfish]

Anyone know a vendor that will get this fish? I thought I had one from NY Aquatics. Had it purchased but there was some issue before Michael could ship it out. I have been looking for over a year now.

 

[HairyGary]

Anyone know a vendor that will get this fish? I thought I had one from NY Aquatics. Had it purchased but there was some issue before Michael could ship it out. I have been looking for over a year now.

My LFS has ordered a few in over the past few months for me but they arrive in such poor condition they don't survive the first few hours. I think they were from QM but could be wrong.

 

[mtfish]

Thanks for the reply. I know they are poor shippers and only from Hawaii. Others of this genus seem to be more available. Is it that the Hawaii collectors do not see this as a fish that can make them enough profit? Or that they are harder to ship than other Anampses species?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thanks for the reply. I know they are poor shippers and only from Hawaii. Others of this genus seem to be more available. Is it that the Hawaii collectors do not see this as a fish that can make them enough profit? Or that they are harder to ship than other Anampses species?

Recent changes to Hawaiian law regarding fish collecting limit collectors to using nets with a mesh wider than 2". So this makes smaller fish harder to collect.