Pink Streaked Wrasse

The Pink Streaked Wrasse, Pseudocheilinops ataenia, is a small, peaceful reef fish prized for its delicate coloration, secretive personality, and excellent compatibility with tranquil marine aquariums. Its slender body is covered in soft pink to peach coloration with fine yellow-orange horizontal striping, subtle blue highlights, and attractive facial markings that become especially noticeable as the fish settles into its surroundings.

Native to the Western Central Pacific, this species inhabits sheltered reef environments from Indonesia and the southern Philippines to Palau. It typically remains close to coral structure and rocky cover, where it searches for amphipods and other tiny invertebrates. Unlike many more assertive wrasses, the Pink Streaked Wrasse is generally shy and non-aggressive, making it an excellent choice for peaceful reef aquariums.

Reaching only about 2.5 inches as an adult, this species provides the activity and personality of a wrasse without requiring a large aquarium. Once acclimated, it frequently moves between caves and branches of live rock while searching for small prey, adding subtle movement and color without disturbing corals or most ornamental invertebrates.

Quick Care Guide

Care Level: Moderate
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore / Micro-predator
Reef Safe: Yes
Region: Western Central Pacific – Indonesia, southern Philippines, and Palau
Scientific Name: Pseudocheilinops ataenia

Tank Requirements

Provide a mature aquarium with abundant live rock, caves, branching structures, and narrow crevices where the wrasse can retreat whenever it feels threatened. Dense reef structure is especially important because this species naturally stays close to shelter and may remain hidden frequently during its initial acclimation period.

Leave some open swimming room between rock structures while maintaining plenty of cover. Unlike many wrasses that bury themselves in sand, the Pink Streaked Wrasse primarily relies on rockwork and coral structure for nighttime shelter, so a deep sand bed is not required.

A mature aquarium containing copepods, amphipods, and other natural microfauna is especially beneficial. Moderate water movement and stable reef-quality conditions are ideal.

A tightly fitted lid or mesh aquarium cover is essential. Like most wrasses, this species is capable of jumping when frightened or startled.

Diet and Feeding

The Pink Streaked Wrasse is a carnivorous micro-predator that naturally feeds on amphipods and other tiny reef-associated invertebrates.

In captivity, offer appropriately sized foods such as finely chopped mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, copepods, Cyclops, small frozen plankton preparations, finely chopped marine seafood, and quality micro-pellets.

Feed two to three small meals per day when practical. Because of its small mouth and relatively shy feeding behavior, food should be appropriately sized and distributed near areas where the fish feels secure.

Established live rock is particularly valuable because it allows the wrasse to hunt natural microfauna throughout the day. Newly introduced specimens may initially be hesitant during feeding, so avoid housing them with overly aggressive or excessively competitive feeders.

Temperament and Tankmates

The Pink Streaked Wrasse is one of the more peaceful wrasses available for reef aquariums. It generally coexists well with peaceful clownfish, gobies, blennies, cardinalfish, firefish, small fairy wrasses, and other non-aggressive community fish.

Avoid large aggressive species and highly territorial wrasses that may intimidate it. Particular caution should be used with Six Line Wrasses and other assertive members of the genus Pseudocheilinus, which can harass this much more passive species.

New specimens may remain hidden for extended periods while acclimating. In a peaceful aquarium with sufficient shelter, they typically become more confident and spend increasing amounts of time exploring the rockwork.

A single specimen is the simplest arrangement for most aquariums, although compatible individuals may coexist in larger, heavily structured systems with abundant hiding places.

Reef Compatibility

The Pink Streaked Wrasse is considered reef safe and normally leaves SPS corals, LPS corals, soft corals, clams, snails, and established ornamental shrimp alone.

It naturally consumes copepods, amphipods, and other very small crustaceans living within the rockwork. This is normal feeding behavior rather than destructive reef behavior, but it should be considered in systems where maintaining exceptionally dense populations of microfauna is important.

Its small adult size and gentle disposition make it especially well suited to mixed reef aquariums.

Water Parameters

Temperature: 75–80°F
Specific Gravity: 1.024–1.026
pH: 8.1–8.4
Alkalinity: 8–12 dKH

Stable temperature, salinity, and overall water quality are more important than maintaining one exact value within these ranges.

Common Considerations

• Provide abundant caves, crevices, and mature live rock because this naturally secretive species depends heavily on shelter.

• A secure aquarium lid is essential because the fish may jump when frightened.

• Avoid aggressive or highly competitive tankmates that can prevent this shy wrasse from feeding comfortably.

• Naturally hunts copepods, amphipods, and other tiny invertebrates throughout the rockwork.

• Does not require a deep sand bed and typically shelters within rockwork rather than burying itself at night.