Harlequin Tusk appreciation and info thread!

Thought I'd start a Harlequin Tusk thread since 1) it's my favorite fish and 2) i see many people have recently got theirs. I've owned 3 of them now, including 1 of the Australian variety so hope to share as much info as possible! Feel free to post the pics of yours and any observations as well!

Harlequin Tusk
(Choerodon fasciatus)



Overview (from LiveAquaria.com):
The Harlequin Tusk originates from the reefs of the Indian Ocean and Australia. Indian Ocean Tusks have orange stripes with white margins and a hint of blue adjacent to the tail of the fish. Australian Tusks have orange stripes with vivid blue margins starting from the pectoral fin, along the fishes back to their tail. Both of these beautiful color forms have bright blue teeth or tusks used to crunch invertebrates. They are a wonderful fish for a FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) aquarium. These fish are typically shy when at a small size, but will in time gain personality and confidence as they mature. Can grow to 8-10" easily so a larger tank of 100+ gallons is recommended.

Note: I did not notice an immediate difference between the Australian and Indo-Pacific variety. The Australian ones seem to be a little bit more vibrant because his whites really stand out, making the other colors more striking imho. YMMV.

Temperament:
Semi-aggressive to very aggressive! Mine will constantly chase around my 6-line as well as my Coral Beauty during the daytime. At night, with the moon lights on, he seems much more docile and won't harass the other fish as much. But as I noted, watch out, as he can easily be the alpha fish in the tank.

Reef Safe:
ALthough he won't touch any corals, anything that can fit in his mouth is a cause for concern, so ideally your CUCs should be much bigger. My Tusk has swallowed a small hermit crab whole (shell and all) before realizing he was biting off more then he can chew and spitting him out. I think ornamental shrimps are very iffy, especially if added after him.

Diet and care:
Harlequin Tusks are fairly hardy and will eat any and everything. Really! Whether it's live, frozen, or dried, my Tusk will eat it. In fact, i used to drop my frozen brine/mysis/bloodworms directly into the tank only to see the Tusk be selfishly greedy and almost swallow the whole thing in his mouth. Since then, i defrost it in a small cup and then dump it in the tank so all the fish can get some. it's also funny to see him pick off dry pellets off the bottom of the tank, as he won't go after it while its falling. Lastly, Tusks prefer a lot of rock aquascape, especially at night time. He will lie on the sandbed wedge in between rocks and sleep like a baby if all the lights are out.

Caution:
Harlequins are jumpers! I learned the hard way unfortunately. One of them jumped to his untimely death while i was at work. Another one made its way out of a return hole in my QT tank, even though he was 3" big! I think during the first few weeks, they tend to be a little jumpy before settling in and there naturally tendency is to go up...fast! Remember to throw a tight lid on the tank!

My Harlequin Tusk aka Darth Maul

 

Very nice write up.

Darth Maul is beautiful.

I have never had one, but I can sure see the attraction.

 

Here's a shot of our 1.5" juvie Aussie HTF...it's a cute little fish:



It will eventually find its way into our 210 gal "Things With Stings" setup once it gets some size on it.

 

Nice write up and beautiful fish. wish my tank was big enough.

 

Came across these beauties on SwimsWithFish's thread on favorite fish, Craigar posted his pic... Just a gorgeous fish!!! Wish there were dwarf versions that could reside im my tank!:-[

 

Marcus - awesome shot! I've never seen a juvey version before...talk about massive change to adulthood! Keep us updated for sure!