Six-line wrasse

Naming

Synonyms
Cheilinus hexataenia Bleeker, 1857
Pseudolabrus hexataenia (Bleeker, 1857)
Pseudocheilinus psittaculus Kner & Steindachner, 1867
Cossyphus echis Guichenot, 1869

Behavior

The six-line wrasse is a semi-aggressive fish. It will compete with and harass delicate fish or smaller individuals. Since it has a ravenous appetite for small benthic creatures and crustaceans, it can easily deplete the marine biodiversity in its environment. However, it can also be a cleaner fish. Six-line wrasse will also peck algae, parasites and fish eggs off of rocks, coral and seaweed in its quest for small crustaceans.

Habitat

Six-line wrasse inhabit warm tropical waters around the islands of Indonesia and Oceania, and have also been observed around various islets and seamounts in the Pacific Ocean.

Food

Six-lined wrasse specialize mostly in eating small benthic organisms, especially crustaceans. They seem to prefer amphipods, copepods, benthic-stage lobster larvae, small shrimp and fish eggs. They will also peck algae for extra nutrients and also because tasty morsels easily get stuck in the slimy goop. Six-line wrasse rarely get parasites since they eat the parasites themselves. There has been no specific documentation of this species succumbing to a disease such as saltwater ich, as they are extremely hardy fish. In captivity, they can be fed frozen or live food.

Predators

So far there have been no documented natural predators of the six-lined wrasse, but occasionally a frogfish, stonefish or lionfish has been observed eating one in captivity.