Checkerboard Wrasse

Checkerboard Wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus) is an absolutely killer addition to any reef tank—colorful, bold, and packed with personality. It shows off a dazzling checker-board pattern as an adult, with hues of green, blue, yellow, and pink accenting its body; juveniles are head-turners too, with silvery-white background, splashes of black/stripes/patches, and a fake eye spot that’ll make you do a double-take. Grows to about 10 inches. Best kept in spacious aquariums of 125 gallons or more, with deep fine sand for burying at night or when spooked, live rock for hiding and hunting, stable water conditions, and a tight lid (these wrasses are escape artists). Diet should be high in carnivorous fare—meaty frozen foods like mysis or brine shrimp, live small crustaceans, and top-quality marine pellets once feeding reliably.

International Aquatics Quarantine & Guarantee: All fish are checked by marine vets, given a formalin bath, and held for 14 days in copper-treated systems. We feed Selcon-soaked food with Kanaplex and Metroplex during quarantine. Unless marked, all livestock comes with our 15-Day Guarantee. You will receive a video of your fish eating before shipment. On request, we also send photos/videos after arrival at IA.

Several species will be import-to-order and may take anywhere from 3-10 business days to secure. Once your fish is secured, you will be notified, and the quarantine process will then begin.