🐠 Dragon Wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus)
Dramatic Antlered Juveniles Resembling Drifting Seaweed • A Natural Rock Mover and Sand Digger • A Striking, Interactive Fish-Only Species
 
📋 The Dragon Wrasse, also known as the Rockmover Wrasse, Reindeer Wrasse, or Carpet Wrasse, looks completely different at each life stage. Juveniles, often called Reindeer Wrasse, have a maroon-to-green body with white mottling and dramatically elongated "antler" dorsal spines that, combined with a distinctive drifting swimming style, make them resemble floating seaweed rather than a fish. Adults lose these ornate spines, settling into a more solid light blue-to-green body with darker markings.
It comes from shallow reef flats and lagoons across the Indo-Pacific, needing a deep, fine sand bed; it buries itself completely at night or when frightened, commonly seen doing so immediately upon introduction to a new tank. Every Dragon Wrasse we ship is feeding well.
It's a natural forager that actively rearranges rocks and decor in search of food, and mature specimens will move any unsecured rockwork in the tank. We build and secure every rockwork display directly on the aquarium bottom rather than on sand, and recommend the same setup at home. It's not reef safe, eating crustaceans, snails, shrimp, starfish, worms, and small fish, and becomes more aggressive and territorial with age. It reaches up to 30cm in the wild, commonly 15-20cm in aquariums, so plan on at least 280L for juveniles, and 680L or more for adults.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Dramatic Juvenile "Antlers": Elongated dorsal spines that fade with maturity
🪨 A Rock-Moving Species: Requires all rockwork secured directly to the tank bottom
⚠️ Not Reef Safe: Eats crustaceans, snails, starfish, worms, and small fish
🏖️ Requires a Deep Sand Bed: Buries itself completely at night or when threatened
🧠 Advanced Keepers Recommended: More aggressive with age; needs a large, specially set-up tank