Pteragogus cryptus, also known as the Red Cryptic Wrasse, has a mottled red-and-white body with small dark spots and a yellow-to-green ringed ocellus on its gill cover. As the fish matures, this ring becomes more elongated, and thin blue lines appear below the eye. This species grows to around 9 cm in length.
Pteragogus Wrasse are shy and secretive, so they should be placed in a well-established aquarium with plenty of open swimming space. Provide lots of rockwork with caves, cracks and crevices for them to hunt and hide. They may harass smaller tank mates and can be reluctant to eat at first. If they refuse food, offer fortified live mysis, brine shrimp, glass shrimp, or grass shrimp, feeding multiple times a day.
They are not reef-safe and will prey on benthic invertebrates. Like many wrasses, they are hermaphrodites, starting life as juveniles or females and potentially changing to males later, often with noticeable colour differences. Ensure the aquarium has a tight-fitting lid, as they may jump.