ReefPicker
← Livestock checker
Dragon Wrasse
Wrasse

Dragon Wrasse

Novaculichthys taeniourus

The "rockmover" wrasse — a fascinating but demanding fish that literally flips over rocks and rubble to hunt what hides beneath. Ornate and shaggy as a juvenile, it matures into a large, plainer, muscular fish that rearranges the aquascape, eats shrimp, crabs, snails and starfish, and turns increasingly territorial with size. It is coral-safe in the sense it will not eat coral, but a committed reef-keeper should think twice: it needs a big tank, a deep sand bed to bury in at night, and robust tankmates. Best treated as a centre-stage fish for a rockwork-and-sand system rather than a delicate reef.

Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Max size
11.8"
Min tank
125 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe with caution
Diet
Carnivore
Zone
Sand bed, Bottom, Rockwork
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
Something look wrong? Report an error

Tankmates

How Dragon 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.

Percula ClownfishDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Percula Clownfish.Purple Queen AnthiasDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Purple Queen Anthias.Banggai CardinalfishDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Banggai Cardinalfish.Radiant WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Radiant Wrasse.Pajama CardinalfishDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Pajama Cardinalfish.Green ChromisDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Green Chromis.Blue DamselDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Blue Damsel.Yellowtail DamselDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellowtail Damsel.Flame AngelfishDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Angelfish.Coral Beauty AngelfishDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Coral Beauty Angelfish.Helfrich's FirefishDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Helfrich's Firefish.Yasha GobyDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yasha Goby.Tailspot BlennyDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Tailspot Blenny.McCosker's Flasher WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller McCosker's Flasher Wrasse.Sixline WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Sixline Wrasse.Leopard WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Leopard Wrasse.Lubbock's Fairy WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse.Melanurus WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Melanurus Wrasse.Yellow Coris WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellow Coris Wrasse.Red Head Solon Fairy WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Kole TangDragon Wrasse and Kole Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Midas BlennyDragon Wrasse and Midas Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Longnose HawkfishDragon Wrasse and Longnose Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Red Coris WrasseDragon Wrasse and Red Coris Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Saddleback ClownfishDragon Wrasse and Saddleback Clownfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Starry BlennyDragon Wrasse and Starry Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Emperor AngelfishDragon Wrasse and Emperor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Regal AngelfishDragon Wrasse and Regal Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Picasso TriggerfishDragon Wrasse and Picasso Triggerfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Keyhole AngelfishDragon Wrasse and Keyhole Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Queen AngelfishDragon Wrasse and Queen Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Blueface AngelfishDragon Wrasse and Blueface Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Chevron TangDragon Wrasse and Chevron Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Arc-Eye HawkfishDragon Wrasse and Arc-Eye Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Fuzzy Dwarf LionfishDragon Wrasse and Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Chainlink MorayDragon Wrasse and Chainlink Moray both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Golden Dwarf MorayDragon Wrasse and Golden Dwarf Moray both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Rectangle TriggerfishDragon Wrasse and Rectangle Triggerfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Clown TriggerfishDragon Wrasse and Clown Triggerfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Miniata GrouperDragon Wrasse and Miniata Grouper both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.