Four Lined Wrasse

Four lined Wrasse, Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia, also go by the name Hawaiian Pyjama Wrasse. Like all members of the Pseudocheilinus genus, males and females look alike. However, other wrasse species display sexual dimorphism.

These fish are active and charismatic. As the names suggests, Four Line Wrasse display vibrant blue stripes along their peach body. These beauties have purple heads and a white chin. Their bright pink eye sports two thin white stripes through it. As the fish gets older, their colours get more pronounced.

Pseudocheilinus live in the tropics. This genus is small when compared to other wrasse species.

Four lined Wrasse, Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia, Ecology.

Four lined Wrasse live in the Pacific Ocean, around the Hawaiian and Tuamoto islands, as well as Japan.

They live on rich coral reefs. The complex structures help the wrasse avoid predation. Unlike some species, Four lined Wrasse do not bury themselves to sleep or hide. Instead they have a nifty trick. In order to sleep safely, Four lined Wrasse find a nook and envelope themselves in a protective mucus coat. Supposedly, this hides the wrasses scent from predators. These sticky invisibility cloaks do not degrade your water quality like some coral wax jackets’ might.

Four lined Wrasse feed on small invertebrates. Such as: copepods, amphipods, shrimp, snails and megalopa crabs. They have been known to eat pest species in captivity, such as flat worms and pyramidellid snails. We recommend consulting a member of staff if pest control is what you are after.

They are also protogynous hermaphrodites. Which means that, when they get old enough, breeding females turn into a male. As a result, all juveniles are immature females.

Hawaiian Pyjama Wrasse: In The Aquarium.

It is important to mimic the natural environment by providing plenty of nooks and crannies for the wrasse to hide in. Hobbyists should invest in a jump guard to prevent any unlucky mishaps.

Four lined Wrasse do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept enriched frozen mysis shrimp and enriched frozen brine shrimp. They will also devour live foods, such as copepods and amphipods, that can be cultivated in attached refugium. Over time they will accept high-quality pellet or flake. We adapt all our wrasse to aquarium life before they leave us. We focus on their health, and most are eating a good quality flake food and/or pellet, such as JBL Maris, before being offered for sale.