Pseudocheilinus Hexataenia

Scientific name: Pseudocheilinus Hexataenia.

Common name: Six Line Wrasse.

Origin:Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Tuamotu, Japan and Lord Howe Island.

Habitat: It’s a species associated with reefs, between 2 and 35 m. deep.

Morphology: Body laterally compressed and elongated, oval, prominent and large eyes. Mouth or snout small. Has six blue horizontal stripes alternating with six stripes of yellow or orange. His cheek is orange, covered with small yellow spots. It has a black ocellus on the top of its caudal peduncle.

The males can reach 10 cm. total length and females 7 cm. Are hermaphrodites, ie, all the males were first females. Several studies have been performed and have indicated that the total size is a good indication of the sex of the animal. Generally, a sample of less than 5 cm. no sex, specie between 5 and 7.5 cm. are females, and specimens between 7.5 and 10 cm. are males.

Maintenance: They need an aquarium  with good hiding places and large areas for swimming. It’s an animal of easy adaptation to captivity, quite resistant to fluctuations in water conditions and the presence of diseases.Their average life expectancy is 10 years.

PH: 8.1 - 8.4.                 Temperature: 24° - 28° C.             Salinity: 1020 – 1025

Behavior: They mostly live alone or in pairs. It is compatible with a fish reef tank, but should avoid keeping with small shrimp, for example, Thor amboinensis, as part of their diet. His personality varies greatly from one individual to another, can be found  peaceful species and others that harassing other fish of equal or smaller than them.

Feeding: It should be fed small crustaceans (shrimp, mysis, etc.), Bivalves, snails and crab larvae. Flakes, but should not be used as the only food. In addition to parasites such as planarians (including also external parasites other animals such as ich) feeds on small worms, copepods and other micro-  wildlife present in the rock.

Reproduction: There are no data to explain their captive breeding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rsl-PuIiRE