Scientific Name: Gomphosus varius

Alt Scientific Name: Gomphosus caeruleus

Common Name: Bird Wrasse

Alt Common Name: Blackbird Wrasse, Brownbird Wrasse, Greenbird Wrasse

Group: Labroids (Wrasses)

Family: Labridae

Distribution: Indo Pacific: Commonly found in the Indo-Pacific from India to Japan and all the way over to Hawaii.

Adult Size: 12 inches (30.5cm)

Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons

Temperament: Semi-aggressive - will eat smaller fish and almost any crustacean/shrimp/crab/snail/clam/etc

Care Difficulty: 3/10

Reef Safety Score : 0/3

Temperature Range: 75°F - 82°F

pH Range: 8.1 - 8.4

Salinity Range (specific gravity): 1.02 - 1.027

Diet Information: Omnivorous - the bird wrasse will eat some vegetable based foods such as spirulina but tends to enjoy meaty foods much more. This species will eat almost any source of meaty food such as crustaceans, fish, starfish, clams, scallops, squid, shrimp, krill and mollusks. A steady diet of krill, silversides, mysis shrimp, frozen clams or squid will keep this fish healthy and happy. For best results the diet should be varied.

Additional Information : The bird wrasse is quite beautiful, with the males having bright green and blue coloring. The bird wrasse is a great addition to any FOWLER tank but should never be used in a reef setup. The bird wrasse is a great predators of crustaceans and snails. Although bird wrasses do not usually eat corals, their constant picking and searching for crustaceans will disturb or even destroy corals.

Ensure there are no openings at the top of an aquarium housing bird wrasses because they are proficient jumpers and will eventually get out of an uncovered aquarium.

Tank Mate Compatibility : Other semi aggressive fish appropriate for FOWLER setups.

Breeding Information: Not recorded in captivity.

Determining Sex: Males are larger and more brightly colored than females.

Primary Area in Tank: Middle to bottom of aquarium.