Halichoeres iridis
The Halichoeres iridis lives naturally in the eastern and western Indian Ocean. The fish can be found along steep reefs with sandy bottoms, at depths of 1 to 30 m. The fish feed mainly on zooplankton. The fish is very beautiful and popular among aquarists. Recommended for aquarists with some experience in caring for the marine aquarium.
Females, just below the dorsal plumage has a band of reddish color, males do not have such a band. The head is yellowish green with red lines. Fish are hermaphrodites, they can change sex from female to male, for example, in the case of the death of the male. Young fish have a lighter coloration than adults. The maximum size of the fish is 12 cm.
Fish should preferably be kept in pairs or a small harem consisting of one male and several females. Halichoeres iridis are ideal neighbors for other fish living with them in the same aquarium. Keep fish recommended in an aquarium of 250 liters.
When initially settled in the aquarium, fish first few days hiding in the shelter and did not eat anything. No need to worry about this, fish gradually adapt to new conditions and begin to swim out in the open and eat.
Halichoeres iridis not harmful to corals, but very partial to the snails, so if they are in the aquarium, the fish will certainly eat them.
Water parameters: temperature 23-27° C, pH 8.0-8.5, salinity 1.020-1.026.
Halichoeres iridis requires a thick layer of sand on the bottom (at least 5 cm), as they often burrow into the sand at night or when startled. Also, small rocks should be placed in the aquarium, so that the fish can look for food particles among their crevices.
Under natural conditions, the menu of the fish consists of small molluscs, worms and crustaceans. In aquariums, the fish are gradually accustomed to artemia nauplii, ground meat mussels and mollusks. As the fish adapt, a variety of dry food can be included in their menu.
Reproduction
Under aquarium conditions, the Halichoeres iridis sometimes spawns. The female hatches up to several hundred eggs on the outside of the rock. However, until the larval stage, the eggs never mature, and disappear completely. Moreover, this situation is observed even in very large aquariums, which contained several groups of these fish. It is still not clear why this happens.
All of the fish are supplied to the local market from their natural habitat.
