Care
The Four-lined Wrasse is a secretive species known from Japan, over to Hawaii, and south to the Tuamoto and Austral Islands. This fish tends to inhabit seaward reefs where it lives amongst rubble and the bases of small heads of coral, particularly Pocillopora meandrina. Here it may be observed sticking close to the safety of cover, feeding on amphipods, alpheid shrimp larvae, copepods, crab megalops, demersal eggs, and gastropods, but never venturing more than a few centimetres from the substrate. The Four-lined Wrasse makes a beautiful and fascinating addition to reef aquaria where no ornamental shrimp are present. The tank should be mature and furnished with plenty of living rock to provide feeding opportunities and shady hiding places. It is best to keep only one per tank, and not with any closely related species, as despite its general shyness the Four-lined Wrasse will behave aggressively towards them. In XXL aquaria, groups of Four-lined Wrasse may be kept together if added simultaneously when juvenile, and provided that there are plenty of visual barriers amongst the decor " but do observe carefully. Tankmates to avoid include species such as dottybacks, grammas, fairy/flasher/leopard wrasses, firefish etc as they tend to occupy the same niches as the Four-lined Wrasse and it will show aggression towards them. Powerful filtration and circulation with a high level of oxygenation are a must, as are tight fitting coverslides on account of the Four-lined Wrasse's ability to jump. Although these fish tend to be quite cryptic, sitting quietly (and still) in front of the tank during the day/early evening should result in the observation of some very interesting natural behaviour as the fish actively dart in and out of the rockwork and corals, turning to look at you every now and then, their mesmerising stripy eyes moving about and taking everything in. The Four-lined Wrasse will be searching for small live foods such as commensal flatworms, pyramidellid snails (clam parasites), urchins, tiny isopods, and small bristleworms.
Feeding
Feed a variety of meaty foods in small amounts several times per day, including Mysis shrimp, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, finely chopped krill/ cockle/ mussel/ prawns/ squid/ clam/ fish flesh etc, plus flake food.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium.
