Leopard Wrasse Juv/Female

Leopard Wrasse Juv/Female, Macropharyngodon meleagris, also go by the name Black Spotted Wrasse. Like all members of the genus, males and females are sexually dimorphic, as they display different colour morphs.

These fish look amazing. As the name may suggest, spots cover their elegant, leaf like form. The Leopard Wrasse Juv/Female present dark, irregular markings on a pale body, akin to the big cat. On the other hand, the males look like a leopard from the planet Pandora. They have stunning dark gold bodies with electric blue spots and scribbles.

Macropharyngodon wrasse come from the tropics and are all known as leopard wrasse. The etymology for the genus is ‘big throat teeth’, due to the large molar and canines hidden deep in their throat.

Leopard Wrasse Juv/Female, Macropharyngodon meleagris Ecology. 

These Fish range from the Coral Sea and south Pacific islands. Such as: Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti and Sri Lanka.

These wrasse live in diverse places, such as coral reefs and lagoons, usually with a mixed sediment.  The complex structures help the wrasse avoid predation. Failing that, Leopard Wrasse Juv/Female quickly vanish by burying themselves in the sand bed. These fish feed on shelled zooplankton, like foraminifera, Arthropods and snails.

Leopard Wrasse live in social groups with one dominant male to a few or more Juv/Females. These fish are protogynous hermaphrodites. Which means when the top male perishes, the largest female in the group will turn male and take its place as boss of the harem. As a result, all juvenile Leopard Wrasse are immature females.

Black Spotted Wrasse In the Aquarium.

It is important to copy the natural environment by providing plenty of nooks and crannies. There should also be a good sand bed for the wrasse to hide and sleep in. Hobbyists should get a jump guard to stop any unfortunate losses.

Leopard Wrasse Juv/Female do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept enriched frozen mysis shrimp and enriched frozen brine shrimp. They will also eat 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.