Wrasse ate my cleaner shrimp
 

So the other day I see a few antennae from my cleaner shrimp in various parts of my tank. I think molt. Then I notice my melanurus wrasse staying mostly concealed in the rocks. Fat as a pig.

I feed the tank. He ignores every pellet.

I'm not 100% he did it. But the shrimp has not come out of hiding so I assume it's been eaten as suspected.

Anyone else had this happen?

I find my shrimp usually do hide after a molt as they are vulnerable due to softer shells. I'd give it some time....

I know they hide. But based on my experiences with molting, it's not molt.

That sucks then :sad:

Wrasses eat shrimps, melanarus included , if the timing is right why not take an easy meal molts make for less work for the fish as they don't need to smash its Body and the shrimp are to sore to defend them selves .

Def sucks but can happen worse is now he prob knows them as food.

Melanarus usually go for smaller food but they can sometimes eat larger shrimp , I'm sure mine ate a small cleaner as well so no more shrimps for me;)

A Melanurus Wrasse eating a decorative shrimp, crab, snail, hermit crab, or other invertebrate is perfectly normal - and expected.

Sucks when you get told and assume reef safe.

Sorry to hear you may have lost your shrimp

But, even Liveaquaria lists the Melanurus as; Reef Compatable 'With Caution'

Beautiful fish though :smile:
Hard to decide who to keep

I can't, off-hand, think of any wrasse that is "reef-safe". The closest to "reef-safe" I would say would be the 6-Line Jerk (I mean Wrasse) and the Yellow Coris Wrasse.

Yeah i assume now all wrasses are hit or miss

Ps- my yellow corris ate my dozen peps amd tried to est my harlequins lol

Shrimps or wrasses both dont work always but can sometimes:)

Well no shrimp for my tank I guess. I like this big guy too much. Hopefully my neons will replace the shrimp.

My Grey Head Wrasse, similar to Melanurus, was great for a couple years then went on a rampage and ate the pair of Peppermint Shrimp, the half dozen Emerald Crabs, and half the Astraea Snails. I had to find a new home for him because I couldn't keep a decent clean up crew stocked. He is a beautiful fish though and I miss him.

Boo. I guess once I get the other issues in hand, I'll have to watch how he does with the snails.

That might be the clicker.