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Xyrichthys pentadactylus is one of many species of razor fish, or more commonly known as razor wrasse. Razor wrasses are adapted to life on open sandy reefs, and all possess highly compressed bodies which look paper thin from the front, enabling them to slice through the sandbed with ease as they dig around hunting for food and to hide in when threatened.
Razor wrasses are not commonly found in the aquarium trade, and are virtually unknown to many aquarists. Although some are beautifully colored, a great deal are drab and grow to large sizes which makes them unsuitable for captivity. X. pentadactylus is a moderately sized species with amazing coloration, perfect for the home aquarist. Another characteristic shared by almost all razor wrasse, sans a few species, is the discontinuation of the dorsal fin.
Here is a video that i’ve managed to take just before it dove into the sand to sleep. The video quality is not very good as the tank lights are turned off and only ambient lighting is used, but it shows that the razor wrasse can travel and move around even under the sand, and is really, quite interesting to watch as the sandbed churns in a ghost-like eeriness and all that is left behind is dust.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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