Six Line Wrasse, Pseudocheilinus hexataenia,

 This genus is relatively small when compared to other wrasse species.

These fish live in the Indo Pacific. They range from the Red sea and south Africa, to Tuamoto, Ryukyu, Austral and Lord Howe islands.

Six Line Wrasse live on rich coral reefs, from the coast to the outer slopes. They swim around in loose aggregations, darting amongst the coral branches they use for protection.

The complex structures of the coral branches help the wrasse avoid predation. Unlike some species, Six Line Wrasse do not bury themselves to sleep or hide. Instead they have an incredibly nifty trick. In order to sleep safely, Six Line Wrasse find a nook and envelope themselves in a protective mucus coat. Supposedly, this hides the wrasses scent from predators. These sticky invisibility cloaks do not degrade your water quality, like some coral wax jackets’ might.

Six Line Wrasse feed on small crustaceans. They have been known to eat pest species in captivity, such as flat worms and nudibranch.

They are also protogynous hermaphrodites. Which means that, when they get old enough, breeding females transition into a male. As a result, all juveniles are immature females.

It is important to imitate the natural environment by providing plenty of nooks and crannies for the wrasse to hide in. Hobbyists should invest in a jump guard to prevent any unfortunate mishaps.

Six Line Wrasse do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept enriched frozen mysis shrimp and enriched frozen brine shrimp. They will also devour live foods, such as copepods and amphipods, that can be cultivated in attached refugium. Over time they will accept high-quality pellet or flake.