Eight Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus Octotaenia)

The Eight Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus octotaenia) is a vibrant and active marine fish known for its striking horizontal purple-red striping and robust personality. Native to the Indo-Pacific, this diurnal hunter actively patrols aquarium rockwork in search of small invertebrates, making it an effective natural controller for pests like pyramidellid snails, flatworms, and bristleworms.

Thriving in established marine aquariums with abundant live rock caves and crevices, this species requires a secure lid to prevent jumping. Due to its semi-aggressive and territorial nature, it is best housed singly and introduced last to established reef systems containing larger or more assertive tankmates.

Key Features

Highlights

• Scientific Name: Pseudocheilinus octotaenia
• Primary Common Name: Eight Lined Wrasse
• Other Common Names: Eight Stripe Wrasse, Eight-lined Wrasse
• Origin: Indo-Pacific (East Africa to Hawaii)
• Max Size: Up to 5.5 inches (14 cm)
• Temperament: Aggressive/Territorial (Especially towards congeners)
• Care Level: Moderate
• Diet: Carnivore/Pest Controller
• Minimum Tank Size: 55 Gallons
• Reef Compatibility: Safe with Caution (May eat small inverts)

Materials & care

• Diet: This fish is a Carnivore that feeds primarily on benthic crustaceans, worms, and mollusks in the wild. In captivity, it accepts a variety of meaty foods, including frozen mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood, and high-quality marine pellets or flakes. Feeding 2-4 times daily is recommended to maintain optimal health and coloration. An established tank with ample live rock provides supplemental foraging opportunities.
• Habitat: A minimum of 50–55 gallons is recommended, with a larger tank preferred to mitigate territorial aggression. The tank must be richly decorated with live rock to create numerous caves, crevices, and hiding spots. Like all Pseudocheilinus species, the Eight Lined Wrasse is an exceptional jumper and requires a tight-fitting, weighted lid or mesh screen cover to prevent escape.
• Reef Compatibility: It is Reef Safe with Caution. While generally harmless to corals and large sessile invertebrates, its natural diet means it will opportunistically prey on small ornamental shrimp (such as Peppermint or Cleaner Shrimp, especially when molting), small crabs, and snails. It is an effective control for some aquarium pests.
• Temperament: It is generally considered Aggressive/Semi-Aggressive, particularly toward its own species, other wrasses (especially other Line Wrasses like the Six Line), and smaller, more docile fish (like dartfish, smaller gobies, and certain dottybacks) that share rock-dwelling niches. It is best kept singly and introduced to the aquarium last to prevent excessive bullying.
• Sleeping Habit: This wrasse does not typically bury in the sand. Instead, it forms a mucus cocoon or wedges itself securely into a tight rock crevice to sleep at night.

Compatibility

Best kept singly and introduced to the aquarium last. It may show aggression toward conspecifics, other line wrasses, and small, docile rock-dwelling species like dartfish and small gobies. Safe with corals, but caution is advised with small ornamental shrimp and crabs.

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