The comb wrasse is an Australian endemic reef fish which is sometimes seen in the trade, but no one deliberately clamoring for it. But Rudie Kuiter knows the striking beauty of this fish as it was selected to grace the cover of his seminal bible on all things wrasses, Labridae.
While we’ve enjoyed several pictures of the comb wrasse, Coris picta, during our aquarium career, it wasn’t until last week at Dallas World Aquarium that we sighted a stunning male specimen grabbing our attention in the Lord Howe Exhibit. Despite being populated with some stunning conspicuous angelfish, and a cluster of McCulloch’s clownfish, the large male white and black was impossible not to admire.
Small Coris picta look more or less like a black & white cleaner wrasse but being a member of the Coris genus, they are much easier to keep, feed and grow in an aquarium. We have admired the way the monochrome coloration of the adult comb wrasse is highly contrasting, but the red headed nape and yellow tail really brings the whole package altogether and now we will be looking out for a comb wrasse of our own.
