Red Dragon Wrasse

1 Red Dragon Wrasse Introduction

The Red Dragon Wrasse is named for its dragon-like shape from Chinese myth and its fiery red color. This carnivorous ornamental fish is now widely kept as a feng shui fish. It is a very ancient fish and a popular ornamental species in Southeast Asia.

Binomial: Bodianus scrofa

Chinese name: Red Dragon Wrasse

Distribution: East Atlantic, Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde; inhabits rocky bottoms. Other details unknown.

Diet: Carnivorous

Length: Up to 43 cm.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Osteichthyes

Subclass: Actinopterygii

Order: Perciformes

Family: Labridae (wrasses)

Genus: Bodianus

Species: Red Dragon Wrasse

2 Physical Characteristics

It is a large fish, reaching up to 43 cm. Like the arowana in general shape, because of its ecology its scales mostly have a metallic sheen, and it is good at jumping out of the water to catch small insects, giving the name ‘Red Dragon’.

It is long-bodied with barbels. When keeping it, help it develop color; maintaining the red needs much light, ideally 4 hours of daily illumination. You can use red light to enhance the effect. Best use natural daylight, as long-term artificial light darkens the back.

3 Aquarium Conditions

Environment and water quality are vital. Like the arowana, though large, it startles easily from outside changes, which can cause disease or death. Water needs are not high but require daily attention and observation for early prevention.

1. Tank size

As a large fish, the tank should be about 1.5 m long, 0.5 m wide, 0.7 m high. Always keep a lid, as it swims in the upper layer and likes to jump, to prevent it leaping out and suffocating when unattended.

2. Water quality

Change at least 20-30% of water weekly; ammonia under 0.1 ppm. Keep temperature and pH stable; sudden changes can cause sudden death. Be careful during water changes to avoid startling. Test health and pathogens weekly. Never replace all water at once. If fins and scales drop off, it is from over-changing; pause changes and it recovers; too little change makes fins opaque and eyes cloudy, even gill-cover flipping.

3. Lighting

It needs much light, ideally 4 hours daily. Red light enhances the effect. Best use natural daylight, as long-term artificial light darkens the back.

4 Feeding Guidelines

A Red Dragon Wrasse may refuse food; if feed is fine, first consider poor or aged water. What to feed, and how to fix refusal from bad water?

It is carnivorous; from fry to adult it needs animal foods, best live small fish. Organ meats harm digestion, do not feed. Use floating shrimp pellets. Feed 2-3 times daily, enough for 20 minutes.

Refusal from bad water happens at all sizes, usually aged water. Some keepers remove waste daily and add tiny new water, but water still ages and fish refuse; parameters look normal. I suggest regular (2-3 week) quantitative changes of 1/4 to 1/5 to keep water and appetite. Fix: after refusal, change 1/6 to 1/8 daily for 3-5 days; new water must be treated.