Pseudojuloides severnsi

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Facts
Latin name Pseudojuloides severnsi - Bellwood & Randall, 2000
Local name Severns' wrasse
Family Labridae - Pseudojuloides
Origin East Indian Ocean, Indonesia
Max length 9 cm (3.5")
As aquarium fish
Minimum volume 500 l (132 gal)
Hardiness Delicate
Suitable for aquarium Experience, preparation and extra care required
Reef safe Reef safe with caution
Aggressiveness Mostly peaceful but might be aggressive towards similar species
Feed
Recommended Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...)
Zooplankton (Cyclops, pods...)
Beware of
Jumps out of open aquaria

This species is known to jump out of open aquaria.

Very frequent feeding

This species requires feeding 4 or more times a day.

Difficult to provide the correct nutrition

Hard to give this species the correct nutrition and is therefore hard to keep alive.

Keep in mind
Requires a varied diet

This species must be fed with an appropriately varied diet.

Sensitive during transportation

This species is very sensitive during transportation and acclimatizing into the aquarium.

Deep sandy substrate

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.

Well established aquarium with pods

This species thrives best when there is a sufficiently large amount of micro life (copepods, amphipods or similar) in the aquarium, so that the it can always find their own food.

Lives in a pair

This species can live as a pair (male and female).

Hermaphroditic

This species can change gender from female to male.

When a male is needed, a female changes sex and takes on the role.

Descriptions and further reading
Genus description (Pseudojuloides)

Pencil Wrasses are a tempting buy, but can be hard to keep successfully for a long time. After a while many die due to malnutrition.

If one is determined to try, it is vital that there is a healthy amount of pods in the aquarium so they can find their own food. In addition it is important to supplement feed, several times a day with a variety of foods, like Mysis, Artemia and cyclops.

These fish dig themselves in at night to sleep or when they feel threatened.

Family description (Labridae)

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.

FishBase
Aquarium trade No
Distribution Indo-West Pacific: Sri Lanka, Ryukyu Islands and Indonesia.
References and further reading

About references

Bob Fenner. The Pencil Wrasses, Genus Pseudojuloides - Wet Web Media - (English)

Scott W. Michael. 2009. Wrasses and Parrotfishes (Reef Fishes Series Book 5) - TFH Publications / Microcosm Ltd. - (English)