How related are they?
Same subfamily, Julidinae (Julidine wrasses): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse belongs to Labroides (Cleaner wrasses), the Melanurus Wrasse to Halichoeres (Halichoeres wrasses).
Find the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse on the tree · Find the Melanurus Wrasse on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse | Melanurus Wrasse |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Chordata Chordates | |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata Vertebrates | |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates | |
| Parvphylum | Osteichthyes bony fishes | |
| Gigaclass | Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes | |
| Superclass | Actinopteri | |
| Class | Teleostei Teleost fishes | |
| Order | Eupercaria (unplaced) Unplaced eupercarian fishes | |
| Family | Labridae Wrasses | |
| Subfamily | Julidinae Julidine wrasses | |
| Genus split | Labroides Cleaner wrasses | Halichoeres Halichoeres wrasses |
| Species | Labroides dimidiatus Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse | Halichoeres melanurus Melanurus Wrasse |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse | Melanurus Wrasse |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Wrasse | Fish · Wrasse |
| Care level | Expert | Easy |
| Reef safe | Yes | With caution |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Favorite foods | Parasites, mucus and dead skin from other fish (wild diet), Vitamin-enriched frozen mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp | Frozen mysis shrimp, Vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, Krill and chopped seafood |
| Max size | 5.5 in (14 cm) | 5 in (12.7 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 90 gal | 55 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 74–80 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Lifespan | FishBase gives a maximum reported age of 4 years, and Saltwater Aquarium Blog quotes about 4 years in aquariums. Many wild-caught aquarium fish die much sooner because they fail to feed. | Not well documented. One retailer care guide (Gensou) suggests about 5-7 years with good care; no published longevity study found. |
| Breeding | Very hard | Very hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |