Latin name | Pseudodax moluccanus - (Valenciennes, 1840) |
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Local name | Chiseltooth wrasse |
Family | Labridae - Pseudodax |
Origin | East Indian Ocean, West Indian Ocean, Australia, Japan, The Red Sea, Indonesia, East Pacific, Central/West Pacific |
Max length | 30 cm (11.8") |
Minimum volume | 500 l (132 gal) |
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Hardiness | Average |
Suitable for aquarium | Suitable with care |
Reef safe | Always reef safe |
Aggressiveness | Mostly peaceful but might be aggressive towards similar species |
Recommended |
Larger crustaceans (Shrimp, crabs...) Other invertebrates Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...) |
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Mostly |
Parasites |
This species is known to jump out of open aquaria.
This species can be a threat towards small crustaceans, e.g. small shrimp.
This species needs a very large aquarium when fully grown.
Exactly how big the aquarium should be is hard to say, but the size of this species is such, that it cannot normally be kept in a home aquarium.
This species must be fed with an appropriately varied diet.
This species is very sensitive during transportation and acclimatizing into the aquarium.
This species needs a minimum of 2 inch (5 cm) of sand in the aquarium bottom, so it can dig itself down when afraid or needing to sleep.
This fish requires feeding several times a day, especially when newly added.
When the fish can find its natural food in the aquarium it requires less frequent feeding.
They can live as a pair provided they are introduced simultaneously.
This species needs good hiding places, for example, between live rocks.
This species revels in swimming and requires an aquarium with ample space.
This species comes in multiple color variations which can make identification problematic.
This species can change gender from female to male.
When a male is needed, a female changes sex and takes on the role.
This species is able to remove parasites from fish.
It does not have a great impact on a large outbreak of marine ich (Cryptocaryon), for example, but it contributes towards keeping fish parasite free.
Constant cleaning can stress the fish in the aquarium, so one should not add this fish which removes parasites, if the fish are already weakened through other causes.
Not all specimens actively clean fish.
Wrasses are nearly always seen in reef aquaria, since many of the species are both attractive and useful in battling a range of unwanted invertebrates like i.e. flatworms, pyramide snails.
These fish live of everything from zooplankton to large crustaceans, sea urchins and the like.
The needs and behaviour of Wrasses vary greatly, so it is vital to familiarize oneself with the specific species before buying one.
Aquarium trade | Yes |
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Distribution | Indo-Pacific: Red Sea to South Africa (Ref. 35918) and to the Society, Marquesan and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan. |
French common names |
Labre des Moluques |
German common names |
Meißelzahn junker |
English common names |
Chiseltooth wrasse Chisel-tooth wrasse |
Scott W. Michael. 2009. Wrasses and Parrotfishes (Reef Fishes Series Book 5) - TFH Publications / Microcosm Ltd. - (English)
Minimum volume
"Minimum volume" indicates the size of the tank needed to house this species under optimal conditions.
This is based on a medium size animal, which you want to keep for several years.
It might be possible to keep smaller specimens for a limited period in a smaller tank. A larger tank might be needed for fully-grown specimens.
Hardiness
"Hardiness" indicates how resistant this species is to disease and how well i tolerates bad conditions in general.
Some species doesn't handle transportation very well, but that doesn't mean that the species isn't hardy under the right conditions.
Suitable for aquarium
In this case, a "normal" aquarium is a reef aquarium with mixed corals or a fish only aquarium with an approximately salinity of 1.026 (sg) and a temperature close to 26°C.
Species requiring more than a 4000-liter tank are considered not suitable for home aquarium.
Special aquariums may cover tanks with low salinity, sub-tropical temperature, deep sand bed, sea grass etc.
Reef safe
Always reef safe: No sources indicate that this species will harm corals or other invertebrates.
Often reef safe: Only a few aquarists has reported problems keeping this species with corals and other invertebrates.
Reef safe with caution: This species may be a threat to some types of invertebrates.
Reef safe with luck: Most specimens will harm corals and/or other invertebrates, but you might be lucky.
Not reef safe: This species is a threat to most corals and/or other invertebrates.