The Harlequin Tusk is also known as Tusk Harlequinalia, or Lienardella fasciata. It is a peaceful fish. It will eat any shrimp, crab or snail it finds, so it is not considered reef safe. Initially it is shy in nature and hides a lot when it is young. But as it matures it grows bolder, and should then be kept only one per tank. It is best to keep the Harlequin Tusk in fish only systems. It is compatible with boisterous wrasses, surgeonfishes, large angelfishes, puffers and triggers. The Harlequin Tusk is most popular and an ideal choice for the bold community aquarium. With its wide bright vertical orange-red bands over its head, it makes a captivating addition. The Harlequin Tusk Wrasse is very sociable and it will sleep on the bottom of the aquarium in a sheltered rocky area. It should be kept in a tank not less than 55 gallons with temperature range of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit and pH of 8.3-8.4. The Harlequin Tusk should be fed with a diet of crustaceans, shellfish, and fish along with some frozen item. It has bold coloration and characteristic large, blue teeth that gives it a stunning appearance. Since the Harlequin Tusk won?t nip corals but can eat small mobile invertebrates like shrimps and crabs that is why it makes a reef safe species. The aquarium should be aquascaped with plenty of live rock to form numerous hiding places, with an open swimming space left along the front of the tank.
Attaining a length of approximately 9-10 inches this fish is not recommended for smaller aquariums. Ideally this fish should be kept in an aquarium with a fine substrate as it will bury itself at night.The Wrasse family of fish is a large group of usually very colorful free swimmingfish. These fish are powerful swimmers using their pectoral fins to propel themthrough the water. Wrasses usually have powerful jaws that enable them to crushtheir food, which includes worms. These fish usually have long continuous dorsalfins and are found in groups in the wild. The Wrasses are one of the few fish thatwill bury themselves in the sand when sleeping or during flight. Wrasses are alsoable to change their sex during these phase changes.
