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• Fish of the Week - Banana Wrasse

6 January 2021

Thalassoma lutescens

We’re deep diving back in the oceans for the next round of ‘Fish of The Week’. This week is a pretty wrasse species that doesn’t stay mellow or even always yellow. The Banana Wrasse (also known as a Sunset Wrasse) is a large growing wrasse from the Indian and Pacific oceans. They are often sold as cute, bright yellow juveniles but can reach a length of 30cm, so a large aquarium is a must. During adolescence, male Banana Wrasse begin changing colour, transitioning into a beautiful array of blues, greens and yellows. Females retain their yellow juvenile colouration into adulthood.

As with many species of wrasse, they enact a special behaviour at night. To protect themselves from predators, many wrasse will bury themselves in the substrate to sleep. This can also occur when wrasse are first introduced into a new aquarium. Some new arrivals may not emerge for the first few days. This is normal behaviour and should not be disturbed during this time.

Another protection strategy utilised by wrasse is to produce a slimy cocoon at night. This stops predators being able to detect the sleeping fish by smell. Scuba divers at night will often discover sleeping wrasse in rocks and are encouraged not to touch the cocoon. A wrasse can only produce one cocoon a day, and if broken, can become vulnerable to attack.
They do not not attack corals, but will eat shrimps, so are not considered reef safe. Due to their aggression and territorial behaviour, they are best mixed with similarly matched species including pufferfish, tangs and angelfish. They are therefore best suited to large FOWLR aquariums. They are easy to care for and do not pose any difficulty when it comes to specific water conditions or feeding. 

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Tagged in: Fish of the Week Archive - Marine