Macropharyngodon choati

Identification	A striking leopard wrasse patterned in orange-red spots and reticulations on a cream body. A prized species from the Coral Sea and eastern Australia.
Maximum Length	about 5″
Origin	Western Pacific (Coral Sea, eastern Australia)
Minimum Tank Size	55 Gal. with deep fine sand
Reef Compatibility	Reef safe

Behavior

A gorgeous but delicate sand-diving leopard wrasse that buries in fine sand every night. Peaceful and reef safe, but like other Macropharyngodon it needs a mature, pod-rich tank and can be hard to establish.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore. It relies on live copepods and small meaty foods; frequent feeding is essential, especially early on.

Cautions

A delicate starter — it must have a fine sand bed and abundant copepods in a mature tank, or it wastes away in new or competitive systems. A jumper; keep covered. Not a beginner fish.