Leopard Wrasse

The Leopard Wrasse is one of the most visually captivating wrasses available in the marine aquarium hobby, displaying an intricate pattern of dark spots and rosettes across its body that closely resembles the coat of a leopard. Males exhibit a greenish-blue body covered with reddish-orange to dark leopard-like spots, while females and juveniles display a striking black body densely covered with white spots, giving them the alternative common name of Guinea Fowl Wrasse. The color difference between males and females is so pronounced that they were once considered separate species.

In the wild, Macropharyngodon meleagris is distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific, from the eastern coast of Africa to Polynesia. It inhabits sandy areas adjacent to coral reefs and rubble zones at depths of 1 to 30 meters, where it methodically searches the substrate for tiny invertebrates, foraminifera, and gastropods. The Leopard Wrasse uses a distinctive nose-down foraging posture, meticulously scanning the sand and rubble for prey items too small for most other fish to detect.

The Leopard Wrasse is considered an advanced-level species that presents significant challenges in captivity. Its primary difficulty lies in its highly specialized feeding behavior and small prey preference, which makes the transition to prepared aquarium foods challenging. Many specimens refuse prepared foods initially and require live copepods, amphipods, and other microfauna to survive. A mature reef aquarium with an established refugium producing a steady supply of live pods is strongly recommended. A deep sand bed of at least 3 inches is essential, as this species sleeps buried in the sand. Despite its challenges, a successfully maintained Leopard Wrasse is an extraordinarily rewarding fish that brings unmatched beauty and fascinating behavior to the reef aquarium.