How related are they?
Same subfamily, Julidinae (Julidine wrasses): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Melanurus Wrasse belongs to Halichoeres (Halichoeres wrasses), the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse to Labroides (Cleaner wrasses).
Find the Melanurus Wrasse on the tree · Find the Bluestreak Cleaner 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 | Melanurus Wrasse | Bluestreak Cleaner 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 | Halichoeres Halichoeres wrasses | Labroides Cleaner wrasses |
| Species | Halichoeres melanurus Melanurus Wrasse | Labroides dimidiatus Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Melanurus Wrasse | Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Wrasse | Fish · Wrasse |
| Care level | Easy | Expert |
| Reef safe | With caution | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Favorite foods | Frozen mysis shrimp, Vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, Krill and chopped seafood | Parasites, mucus and dead skin from other fish (wild diet), Vitamin-enriched frozen mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp |
| Max size | 5 in (12.7 cm) | 5.5 in (14 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 55 gal | 90 gal |
| Temperature | 74–80 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Lifespan | Not well documented. One retailer care guide (Gensou) suggests about 5-7 years with good care; no published longevity study found. | 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. |
| Breeding | Very hard | Very hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |