Red Coris Wrasse (Coris Gaimard) saltwater aquarium fish portrait

Coris gaimard ranges widely across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Hawaii, where it patrols reef slopes, lagoon margins, and sand and rubble zones between roughly 6 and 100 feet. Juveniles are unmistakable: a bright orange-red body marked with white, black-outlined saddle spots, which explains the Clown Wrasse trade name. Beginning near 4 inches, the transformation is dramatic. The body darkens to a speckled blue-green stippled with green dots, the face turns orange with green striping, and the tail becomes a clean yellow, the origin of the Yellowtail Coris name. Males add a light green stripe above the anal fin and develop a more pronounced humped forehead. Two prominent tusk-like teeth at the front of the jaw are used to grip and pry shelled prey.

Adult housing should be generous and horizontally oriented. Plan on a 75-gallon aquarium as an absolute floor, with larger systems on a 5-foot or longer footprint far better suited to a fish that swims almost constantly. A deep bed of fine, soft sand, on the order of 3 to 5 inches, is not optional: this wrasse burrows into the substrate to sleep each night and dives into it when startled. Crushed coral and other sharp substrates abrade the skin and should be avoided entirely. Arrange broken rockwork with caves and crevices for additional security, but seat every piece firmly, since a growing Coris gaimard rearranges sand and can undermine precariously stacked rock. This is a demanding species best reserved for a mature, stable system and an experienced keeper.

Wild specimens can reach 12 to 15 inches, though aquarium fish commonly settle nearer 6 to 8 inches unless housed long term in very large volumes. Expect an animal that redecorates the sand bed daily and vanishes completely after lights out, often not reappearing until midday.

In the wild, this carnivore forages by flipping rubble and sifting sand for crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and other small invertebrates, using its tusk-like teeth to crack or lever prey from shells. That same hunting drive continues in the aquarium, where the fish is a well-known consumer of unwanted bristle worms. Because its metabolism runs high, a thin or hollow-bellied specimen declines quickly and consistent feeding is central to success with the species.

Offer a varied carnivore menu built on vitamin-enriched frozen mysis shrimp and frozen brine shrimp, supplemented with finely chopped meaty seafood such as clam, crab, scallop, shrimp, squid, and urchin. Marine flake and pellet foods formulated for carnivores round out the rotation. Feed small portions several times daily rather than one large meal, and watch that an active swimmer of this size is not outcompeted at the surface by faster tankmates.

Frozen Mysis Shrimp Frozen Brine Shrimp Chopped Clam Chopped Scallop Chopped Squid Chopped Crab Marine Carnivore Pellets
Accounts of temperament differ with age. Small juveniles are often shy, burying themselves in the sand or slipping into rockwork at the slightest disturbance. As the fish grows, it becomes noticeably bolder and more assertive, and large adults can turn destructive in the aquascape and harass considerably smaller fishmates. Treat this wrasse as semi-aggressive and plan the stocking list around a full-grown animal rather than the small specimen that arrives. Like most labrids, it is a protogynous hermaphrodite, beginning life as female with a dominant individual capable of becoming male, so housing two adults together is a genuine risk and generally not advised.

Pair adults with robust, similarly assertive tankmates such as tangs and large angelfish that can hold their own. Regarding invertebrates, this species is reef safe with caution. Corals and other sessile invertebrates are usually ignored, but mobile invertebrates are not: small shrimp, snails, and crabs are frequently taken, clams may be picked at, and empty snail shells accumulating over time are a common report. The fish also shoves rockwork aside while foraging, which can dislodge or unsettle sessile animals even without direct predation.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Red Coris Wrasse

  • Is the Red Coris Wrasse safe with clams, snails, and shrimp?
    It is reef safe with caution. Corals and sessile invertebrates are generally left alone, but it picks at clams and preys on snails, crabs, and small shrimp, with the risk increasing as the fish matures.
  • What substrate does this wrasse require?
    A 3- to 5-inch bed of fine, soft sand is essential, since the fish burrows into it to sleep and to escape perceived threats. Sharp substrates such as crushed coral can injure the skin and should be avoided.
  • Does the juvenile coloration last?
    No. The orange-red body with white, black-outlined saddle spots begins changing around 4 inches into a speckled blue-green form with an orange, green-striped face and a yellow tail.