Finspot wrasse

Where they come from

Finspot wrasses (Xenojulis margaritacea) are Indo-Pacific reef fish you usually see cruising over rubble zones and the edges of coral reefs. They are built for movement - always on the go, picking at the sand and rock for tiny bites all day.

In the trade they are often listed as "finspot wrasse" or sometimes lumped in with other small Halichoeres-style wrasses. Expect a fish that acts like a busy little hunter, not a hover-in-one-spot display fish.

Setting up their tank

Give this fish room to zip around. A 55 gallon works for a single adult, but if you have the space, bigger just makes their day-to-day behavior look more natural. They use the whole footprint, not just the rockwork.

They also like to sleep buried, so you will want a sandbed. Fine to medium sand is what I have had the best luck with. Crushed coral can scrape them up when they dive in at night.

• Tank size: 55+ gallons for one, more is nicer if you can swing it
• Sandbed: 2-3 inches of fine/medium sand so they can bury comfortably
• Rockwork: stable piles with open lanes for swimming - think "reef with runways"
• Flow: moderate to brisk; they are active and handle current fine
• Cover: tight lid or mesh top - wrasses jump, and this one is no exception

I like to add them after the tank is settled and there is plenty of micro-life. They will still eat prepared food, but having pods and tiny critters in the rock and sand takes the edge off while they figure out your feeding routine.

What to feed them

Think small meaty foods, offered more than once a day. In nature they are constant pickers. In a tank, they do best when you feed like you would for an anthias-lite schedule rather than a once-a-day predator schedule.

• Frozen: mysis (smaller pieces), brine shrimp (as a mixer, not the main diet), finely chopped clam or shrimp
• Frozen blends: reef plankton mixes, small crustacean mixes, anything with lots of tiny bits
• Pellets: small sinking marine pellets can work once they recognize them
• Live (optional but helpful): live pods, blackworms (if you can get clean ones), live brine for new arrivals

If your fish is skinny behind the head or the belly looks pinched, bump up frequency. Two to three smaller feedings usually beats one big dump of food for this species.

How they behave and who they get along with

They are active, curious, and generally not looking for trouble. Most of the time they are too busy hunting to pick fights, but they can get pushy with other small wrasses or similarly shaped sand-sleepers if the tank is tight.

They are reef safe in the usual sense, but remember what a wrasse is: a micro-predator. Tiny ornamental shrimp and very small crabs can be on the menu, especially if the wrasse is underfed.

• Good tankmates: peaceful to semi-peaceful community fish (clownfish, chromis, cardinalfish, most gobies, blennies), tangs in larger tanks
• Use caution with: other wrasses (especially similar size and shape), dottybacks, hawkfish, aggressive damsels
• Inverts: generally fine with snails and larger hermits; watch tiny shrimp (sexy shrimp, small cleaners)

Breeding tips

Spawning in home tanks is possible in the broad "wrasse" sense (they are pelagic spawners), but raising the larvae is the hard part. In a typical mixed reef, you might see courtship dashes near dusk, but the eggs and larvae usually become planktonic fish food fast.

If you want to try, the best shot is a species-focused setup with very calm filtration, a way to collect pelagic eggs, and a serious live food pipeline (rotifers, copepods, and the whole routine). For most of us, this is a "fun to watch" breeding behavior fish rather than a practical one to raise.

Common problems to watch for

Most issues I have seen with finspot wrasses come down to the first couple of weeks: shipping stress, not settling in, and jumping. Once they are eating well and have sand to dive into, they are usually pretty hardy.

• Jumping: the classic wrasse problem - cover every opening
• Not eating at first: offer smaller foods, feed more often, and keep tankmates from bullying it off food
• Thin body/weight loss: increase feeding frequency; check for internal parasites if it keeps fading
• Sandbed issues: too coarse or too shallow can cause scrapes or make them reluctant to bury
• Ich/velvet sensitivity: wrasses can get hit hard; have a quarantine plan and do not rely on "reef safe" fixes

One last practical thing: give them a calm first day. Dim the lights, let them find the sand, and do not chase them around with a net if they vanish. If they bury and stay hidden for a day or two, that is normal. They usually pop out once they feel like the tank is theirs.