Cheilinus fasciatus is a large, deep-bodied wrasse from the Indo-Pacific, where it patrols coral reefs and the adjacent expanses of sand and rubble. The body carries alternating dark brown-to-black and pale vertical bars, and the breast and pectoral region glows yellow-orange to red, a feature that reaches its fullest intensity in adult males. Juveniles and females display far less red, while very large males can darken toward near-black with sharply contrasting white bars. Heavy jaws and conspicuous canine teeth reveal the diet of a hard-shelled invertebrate specialist, and mature individuals grow elongated upper and lower caudal rays that give the tail a distinctly trilobed outline. Adults commonly reach about 16 inches, so this is a commanding centerpiece rather than a casual addition.

Adult housing begins at 180 gallons, and larger is genuinely better, since a fully grown specimen can press against the practical limits of a home system. The aquarium should be well established and arranged to provide long, uninterrupted swimming lanes along with substantial rockwork riddled with caves and crevices used for retreat and sleeping. Secure that rockwork carefully. This wrasse will shift stones, excavate sand, and blast jets of water into the substrate while hunting, so unstable structures tend to collapse. A tight-fitting lid is essential because wrasses are capable jumpers, and newly introduced fish that spook may look for a way out.

Care is moderate rather than demanding, provided the size requirement is respected from the start. The chief difficulties are scale and appetite, not fragility: a specimen housed in cramped quarters or stocked alongside delicate invertebrates will create problems that no amount of husbandry can correct.