Queen coris or Coris
gaimard belong to the family
Labridae. Queen
Coris are members of a group of fish that are collectively referred to
as
wrasses. There are approximately 50 individual species within this
grouping. This
wrasse can be found on practically every reef throughout the Red
Sea,
the Indo-Pacific, and all the way to Hawaii.
Adult species can
easily
grow to a length of 14 inches in their natural habitat.
They rarely exceed 6 or 7 inches in an aquarium. Juveniles and adults
look drastically
different. Juveniles are almost larvae like in shape. They have bright
reddish,
orange bodies with large, irregular white ovals outlined in black on
their
backs. Their anal and dorsal fins grow as they mature until they take
on more
of a fish-like appearance. Adults are predominantly reddish in color
often with
a purple overcast. They have neon blue speckles all over their bodies
and green
stripes on their face. Their caudal fins are bright yellow. These fish
are marketed
by the aquarium trade under various names including; red coris wrasse,
red
coris, clown wrasse, red labrid, and yellow-tail coris.
This is a
moderately
aggressive species. They do not normally bully their
tanks mates. However they should only be housed with fish of similar
size and lesser
temperament. Multiples may be housed together as juveniles but may
demonstrate
territorial behavior as they mature. Queens are not suitable
for marine reef setups.
They will view most of the bottom dwellers typical of a marine reef as
a source
of nutrition.
This is one of
the largest
members of the wrasse family and will require a
lot of room. A minimum tanks size of 100 gallons is recommended.
If you
intend
to keep this species sand substrate is a must.
Three to four inches of
sand on
the bottom of your aquarium is sufficient. These wrasses will burrow
into the
sand to sleep or to avoid predation. Any other choice in substrate will
greatly
diminish your fish’s chances of survival due to self
inflicted injury. The
queen wrasse carries an expert care level and should not be raised by
inexperienced aquarists. This species is not even covered under
“the guaranteed
to arrive alive” by many online retailers. They do not ship
well and should
only be purchased from a local retailer.
These are
diurnal hunters.
They will forage for food during the day and
sleep in their burrows at night. They are accomplished hunters.
Juveniles are
considered generally benign. Adult queens can be very destructive in an
aquarium setting. They are known for uprooting anchored species. They
will
frequently cause significant damage to coral specimens. This fish will
literally leave no rock unturned in its search for food.
This is a
carnivorous
species. In their natural habitat the queen wrasse
diet consists primarily of reef invertebrates including; shrimp, hermit
crabs,
urchins, crabs, mollusks and an occasional tunicate. They may not
recognize
non-living food preparations as a source of nutrition when first
introduced to
an aquarium. Vitamin enriched brine shrimp will most likely persuade
them to
eat. Once they have acclimated to aquarium life their diet can be
supplemented
with finely chopped fresh seafood such as shrimp, crab and mollusks.
They may
even learn to accept flaked food and pellets.
Juvenile have a
high
metabolic rate and a large appetite. They should be fed
at least three times a day. Adult fish will be less likely to wreck
havoc in
your aquarium if they have a readily available food supply instead of
having to
resort to their natural foraging instincts. This
species is not known to breed in captivity.
