Red Sea Cleaner Wrasse (Larabicus Quadrilineatus)

Care Level : Expert Only

Temperament : Semi-aggressive

Color : Blue, Purple

Diet : Carnivore 

Reef Compatible : Yes

Water Conditions : sg 1.020-1.025, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4

Max. Size : 4.75 inches 

Origin : Red Sea 

Family : Labridae

Minimum Tank Size : 50 gallons 

The Red Sea Cleaner Wrasse (Larabicus Quadrilineatus), also known as the Four Line Cleaner Wrasse. It is a cleaner Wrasse that is much more durable and longer lived than the traditional Cleaner Wrasse of the Indo-Pacific specimen.

Red Sea Cleaner Wrasse is a brilliant blue with four, horizontal, lighter blue stripes with purple trimming the tail.

As a juvenile, it will eat parasites from placid tank mates. It establishes a "cleaning station" often a cave or overhang, where it swims in a bobbing, dance like motion. Larger fishes come to the cleaning station to have ectoparasites removed. The Red Sea Cleaner Wrasse swims around the fish picking off and eating the parasites. Four Line Cleaner Wrasse grows up to 5 inches.

The Red Sea Cleaner Wrasse prefers a tank of at least 50 gallons with plenty of places to hide and  swim. The Four Line Cleaner Wrasse should be kept in a tank with plenty of live rock, a sandy substrate, and a tightly sealed lid to prevent escapes. Red Sea Cleaner Wrasse will bury themselves in the sand to sleep or hide.

The Four Line Cleaner Wrasse is ideal for a reef aquarium, although, adults may eat ornamental shrimps. It should be housed with other peaceful species, but may become aggressive towards small, more docile species and peaceful wrasses.

The Red Sea Cleaner Wrasse is a predator. Their diet should consist of a variety of meaty foods, including brine shrimp, mysid shrimp, finely chopped sea foods and frozen carnivore preparations. Vitamin-enriched foods should be offered to help keep them healthy and their color bright.