False Leopard Wrasse - Macropharyngodon ornatus

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False Leopard Wrasses are as colorful as other wrasses in the genus, maybe even more so. They inhabit reefs and sheltered lagoons in the Indo-Pacific from Sri Lanka to western Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia.

Leopard Wrasses from the genus Macropharyngodon are generally small wrasses in varying colors but usually have some sort of spotted or intricate patterns. These wrasses are generally peaceful for their size and can be kept with a wide range of tankmates. Many can also be kept in reef aquariums, and should not bother corals although an occasional individual may nip at some coral polyps or overturn colonies while searching for food. They may also prey on some small crustaceans like shrimp and hermit crabs.

These wrasses generally eat a wide range of food, including fresh, live and prepared meaty foods like brine shrimp, mysis, copepods, Cyclopeeze and similar items. Leopard Wrasses find most of their food within the substrate and need a healthy microfauna population to graze upon to survive. Some fish from all of these groups are also known to bury in the substrate when threatened or at night. They are also known jumpers and the tank should be covered at all times.