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Divided Leopard Wrasse
Wrasse

Divided Leopard Wrasse

Macropharyngodon bipartitus

A stunning Western Indian Ocean leopard wrasse — females a mosaic of orange and electric-blue "starbursts", males shifting to green — and one of the more delicate fish in the hobby. It is reef-safe and hunts copepods, tiny snails and other micro-fauna across the rock all day, which is exactly the problem: it needs a large, mature, pod-rich reef and a deep fine sand bed to bury in at night, and it ships and acclimates poorly. A rewarding fish for an experienced keeper with an established system, not a starter wrasse. Provide a tight lid and plenty of live rock.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
5.1"
Min tank
55 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Carnivore
Zone
Sand bed, Bottom, Rockwork
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Divided Leopard Wrasse gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Purple TangPurple Tang (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Leopard WrasseDivided Leopard Wrasse and Leopard Wrasse are the same genus (Macropharyngodon) and will fight — keep only one.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Ornate Leopard WrasseDivided Leopard Wrasse and Ornate Leopard Wrasse are the same genus (Macropharyngodon) and will fight — keep only one.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Divided Leopard Wrasse.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Divided Leopard Wrasse.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Divided Leopard Wrasse.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Divided Leopard Wrasse.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Blue-Leg Hermit CrabDivided Leopard Wrasse hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Blue-Leg Hermit Crab is on the menu.Trochus SnailDivided Leopard Wrasse hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Trochus Snail is on the menu.Astrea SnailDivided Leopard Wrasse hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Astrea Snail is on the menu.Cerith SnailDivided Leopard Wrasse hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Cerith Snail is on the menu.Nassarius SnailDivided Leopard Wrasse hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nassarius Snail is on the menu.Nerite SnailDivided Leopard Wrasse hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nerite Snail is on the menu.Bumble Bee SnailDivided Leopard Wrasse hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Bumble Bee Snail is on the menu.Scarlet Reef Hermit CrabDivided Leopard Wrasse hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab is on the menu.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Mandarin DragonetLeopard wrasse and mandarin both live on the tank's pod population; keep together only in a large, mature, pod-rich system or one will slowly starve.Red Coris WrasseRed Coris Wrasse (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Spotted MandarinBoth are obligate pod hunters competing for the same live food; only combine in an established, pod-rich tank.Queen AngelfishQueen Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Niger TriggerfishNiger Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Blonde Naso TangBlonde Naso Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.Desjardini Sailfin TangDesjardini Sailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Divided Leopard Wrasse and may harass it.