ReefPicker
← Livestock checker
Fourline Wrasse
Wrasse

Fourline Wrasse

Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia

A small, secretive line wrasse — green-to-orange body carrying four bright blue horizontal stripes, each edged in black and red, with a red eye that the head stripe runs straight through. It spends most of its time working through rockwork rather than swimming in the open, and like its sixline relative it becomes territorial with age toward other line wrasses, dottybacks and gramma-type fish. Keep one per tank and add it late in the stocking order, because an established one will harass new arrivals larger than itself. Reef-safe with corals, but full-grown specimens will take ornamental shrimp, and it jumps.

Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Max size
3"
Min tank
50 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Carnivore
Zone
Rockwork, Mid-water, Caves
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
Something look wrong? Report an error

Tankmates

How Fourline 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.

Helfrich's FirefishDartfish and firefish are documented as frequent victims of even small Pseudocheilinus wrasses. Helfrich's Firefish is delicate enough that constant chasing usually ends it.Sixline WrasseBoth are Pseudocheilinus line wrasses and they read each other as rivals. The genus is documented as best kept one to a tank; the loser is chased relentlessly.Royal GrammaGrammas are on the documented list of fish harassed by Pseudocheilinus wrasses unless the tank is very large. The Fourline works the same rockwork the gramma shelters in.Yellow AssessorThe Fourline Wrasse is documented as extremely aggressive toward peaceful and docile species, and the Yellow Assessor is a shy fish that simply withdraws and stops feeding.Antennata LionfishAntennata Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Scissortail DartfishDartfish are named among the families that fall prey to harassment from Pseudocheilinus wrasses in anything under a large, long tank.Marine BettaMarine Betta has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Dragon WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Golden Dwarf MorayGolden Dwarf Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Six-Line SoapfishSix-Line Soapfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.Painted FrogfishPainted Frogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Fourline Wrasse.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Kole TangFourline Wrasse and Kole Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Melanurus WrasseFourline Wrasse and Melanurus Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Coral HawkfishFourline Wrasse and Coral Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Orchid DottybackDottybacks are listed among the fish Pseudocheilinus wrasses pick on in smaller systems. The Orchid is the mildest dottyback, so it tends to be on the receiving end.Springer's DottybackFourline Wrasse and Springer's Dottyback both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Purple DottybackFourline Wrasse and Purple Dottyback both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Midas BlennyFourline Wrasse and Midas Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Longnose HawkfishFourline Wrasse and Longnose Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Potter's AngelfishFourline Wrasse and Potter's Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Bicolor BlennyFourline Wrasse and Bicolor Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Red Coris WrasseFourline Wrasse and Red Coris Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Flame HawkfishFourline Wrasse and Flame Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Saddleback ClownfishFourline Wrasse and Saddleback Clownfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Cherub AngelfishFourline Wrasse and Cherub Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Multicolor AngelfishFourline Wrasse and Multicolor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Starry BlennyFourline Wrasse and Starry Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Spotted MandarinFourline Wrasse and Spotted Mandarin both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Rusty AngelfishFourline Wrasse and Rusty Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Emperor AngelfishFourline Wrasse and Emperor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Regal AngelfishFourline Wrasse and Regal Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.