Fairy Wrasse ID?

[tymo92]

This fish was sold to me as a female exquisite wrasse, which I had no reason to doubt until I recently have seen some aggression toward my pintail wrasse and started looking into species ID.

I’m wondering now whether this in in fact a transitioning black margin fairy, C. melanomarginatus.

Would love a definitive ID on this fish as I’d be quite annoyed if I have a fish that’s going to be very aggressive toward other fairies.

 

[tymo92]

Better pic. Note the faint black dot near base of caudal fin. Hard to tell in pic but edge of anal fin is bright blue.

 

[i cant think]

This fish was sold to me as a female exquisite wrasse, which I had no reason to doubt until I recently have seen some aggression toward my pintail wrasse and started looking into species ID.

I’m wondering now whether this in in fact a transitioning black margin fairy, C. melanomarginatus.

Would love a definitive ID on this fish as I’d be quite annoyed if I have a fish that’s going to be very aggressive toward other fairies.

That’s definitely a species from the Scottorum group, I’d personally say it’s more likely a Melanomarginatus but @Slocke may have an argument against it (I’m on the fence with it so intrigued to see what he says).

 

[tymo92]

That’s definitely a species from the Scottorum group, I’d personally say it’s more likely a Melanomarginatus but @Slocke may have an argument against it (I’m on the fence with it so intrigued to see what he says).

Very unfortunate as I was planning to keep a group of more peaceful fairies and have a female rhomboid on the way. Any experience with this species with other wrasses, or should I try to rehome it?

TSM Aquatics was the vendor I purchased from, unfortunate mis-identification.

 

[Slocke]

That’s definitely a species from the Scottorum group, I’d personally say it’s more likely a Melanomarginatus but @Slocke may have an argument against it (I’m on the fence with it so intrigued to see what he says).

You know I can't ID fairies. I think k you're right and it definitely isn't an exquisite.

 

[56longroof]

Scott's fairy wrasse?

 

[i cant think]

Very unfortunate as I was planning to keep a group of more peaceful fairies and have a female rhomboid on the way. Any experience with this species with other wrasses, or should I try to rehome it?

TSM Aquatics was the vendor I purchased from, unfortunate mis-identification.

I’ve had this species in a 4 foot tank with seven wrasses altogether;

I found if he lacked a competitor he was peaceful and didn’t bother anyone. But I know my luck with wrasses is scarily good. I’ve had species which shouldn’t mix that have worked perfectly (including species within the same complexes and aggressive/non-aggressive species).
Here was my Melano - nicknamed Dumbo (for fairly obvious reasons).

The only way I’d say you could be clear with if she’ll mix well or not is through her behaviour. I currently have a transitioning Randall’s Fairy (Cirrhilabrus randalli) which hates being with other wrasses at the minute, but the hope is if I can get her into a larger tank she may mix a bit better with others.

 

[tymo92]

I’ve had this species in a 4 foot tank with seven wrasses altogether;

I found if he lacked a competitor he was peaceful and didn’t bother anyone. But I know my luck with wrasses is scarily good. I’ve had species which shouldn’t mix that have worked perfectly (including species within the same complexes and aggressive/non-aggressive species).
Here was my Melano - nicknamed Dumbo (for fairly obvious reasons).

The only way I’d say you could be clear with if she’ll mix well or not is through her behaviour. I currently have a transitioning Randall’s Fairy (Cirrhilabrus randalli) which hates being with other wrasses at the minute, but the hope is if I can get her into a larger tank she may mix a bit better with others.

Very nice fish! Love the orange edging on the fins.

I ended up rehoming mine today to a guy with a 540g and 20 other wrasses. I've got a rhomboid female on the way and would like a lineatus and other fairies and flashers eventually, so it was just too risky seeing how she was going after the pintail.

On an unrelated note, I've also got a two spot bristletooth tang, and it's definitely the boss in my tank and for some reason has a grudge against my anthias and will chase wrasses sometimes. Much more aggressive than my gem tang. Curious if yours behaves that way as well.

 

[i cant think]

Very nice fish! Love the orange edging on the fins.

I ended up rehoming mine today to a guy with a 540g and 20 other wrasses. I've got a rhomboid female on the way and would like a lineatus and other fairies and flashers eventually, so it was just too risky seeing how she was going after the pintail.

On an unrelated note, I've also got a two spot bristletooth tang, and it's definitely the boss in my tank and for some reason has a grudge against my anthias and will chase wrasses sometimes. Much more aggressive than my gem tang. Curious if yours behaves that way as well.

When I had him, he was the most aggressive in the tank. I no longer keep tangs after having too many issues with them and being too competitive for certain wrasses to thrive under. Now I just have a 5 foot reef tank with Angels, Rabbitfish and Wrasses (I unfortunately lost my Butterflies over the last couple of weeks).