Fairy Wrasse Photo Library & ShowOff Thread...

[detguy123]

Thought it would be a good idea to start a fairy wrasse photo library to show some of these great reef safe fish. I will try to include them all but some i do not have pics for all of them. If there is one that has not been included and you have a pic of it please let me know if I can use it and i will post it. I think these are some of the best fish to keep and I have been keeping them for a number of years now. I am by no means an expert on fairy wrasses but I seem to think I have alot of knowledege about them. They are reef safe and do not require a sand bed to sleep in. Most of them are peacefull but there are some of them that are very aggressive and that will be noted in the info with the pictures of that fish. They also require a top on the tank and eggcrate will work on the large fairys but the small ones will get through. They also will eat most anything and once settled in are very hardy. There are some that will fade in color without females. The Solor, Scott's, Blue- scaled, Fine-spotted, Temminck's, Black Finned, Exqusite, Shoals, Katherines, and Girdled seem to fade the most. Rhomboids, Pylei, Pink-margin, Yellow- band, Shoals, Yellow-flanked seem to fade some but not much. The fairys that are mostly red and pink seem to keep their color better...there are some that I have not kept and don't know if they hold thier color or not. Ok so now lets get on to the pictures.


EDITED: 06-29-09 (Added the "Show off your wrasse" link)
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/f56/show-off-your-wrasse-7193.html

 

[detguy123]

Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis
Yellow-fin fairy wrasse
found in the Philippines/Indonesia/Flores Sea..found in depths of less than 10m to 20m
size is small about 3.5 in max size
they are hot pink with white stipes and have a yellow dorasl fin..sometimes with blue in it as well..the females are all pink with a blck dot @ the caudal peduncle (tail)
very common and cheap

 

[revhtree]

This is awesome! When this thread get's filled with info then I will add it to the site.

 

[detguy123]

Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Lubbock's Fairy wrasse
Philippines/Flores Sea found in depths 20-25m
size is small 3in adult
there are a few color vairents of this fish..most are pink bright red or purple and most have a bright yellow dorsal..closely related to the yellow-fin..there is on color varient that is a lavender color and has an orange face with two black lines running down its side this one is from Sangihe Islands..the females is all pink with a black dot at the caudal peduncle (tail)
very common and cheap

Male

Female

 

[JuniorMC8704]

um...i think its there now Dave.:horse:

 

[revhtree]

LOL! I mean add it as a special page or article!

 

[detguy123]

Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis
Red-finned Fairy wrasse
found in the Philippines to northern Indonesia at depths 30-40m
size is small-med usally 3.5 adult but i kept a male that was 4.25
an orange to red color on body with white belly and bright red dorsal and anal fins that are very large..ventral fins are bright red and very long..females/juv are red with lots of broken white/blue lines that run down body and a black dot at the caudal peduncle (tail)..there is a new one that has not been named yet that is very close to this fish that is out of southern Sulawesi that has a broad area on the dorsal that is a deep red color and anal fin is almost purple..plus it has bright blue on its throat..i am working on getting a pic for that one
***one of the more aggressive fairys****
very common and cheap

Male

Juvenile / Female

 

[detguy123]

Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis
Social Fairy wrasse
found in the Red Sea, Oman Sri Lanka
size is small 3.25 in max
a dark red with white belly and blue trim on fins..has long doral ray filament and long thick reddish ventral fins.i have not seen a female of these but if it is like the C. Joanallenae it close relative that might just be a geographical varient of the rubriventralis..they are drab in color and have white dashes that run down its body..but like i said i am not for sure
very common and cheap

Male

 

[detguy123]

Cirrhilabrus exquisitus
Exqusite Fairy wrasse
Found in the Indian Ocean to Sumatra..There is also a Pacific varient that is found in the West Pacific from the Philippines to Australia to Fiji
size large to 4.75
colors are green body with a red face and pink, orange, blue and yellow also has a black dot at the caudal peduncle (tail) that males keep..females are just a drab color of green
the Pacific lacks the red/pink face but has its fins trimmed in red/ pink and has a yellow throat
very common and cheap

Male (African variant)

 

[detguy123]

Cirrhilabrus scottorum
Scott's Fairy wrasse
found in South Pacific
size very large over 5in
colors vary by areas..Cook Islands are a blue color with a bright red center..they also have some green and yellow in them..fiji is more green with black in the fins and the Austrailian varient is a green.blue color with lots of red in the fins..these fish fade real bad and i will show that in the pics
****these fish are one of the most aggressive of the bunch and will not tolerate other fairy or flasher wrasses in the tank with it..might could get away with it in a very large tank but i traded mine away because it was so aggressive******
the seem to be more common now and are not cheap but not real expensive either..some super males still command a high price

Male (Australian variant)

 

[detguy123]

Cirrhilabrus Filamentosus
Whip-fin Fairy wrasse
found in the Java Sea and Southern Indonesia
size is small to 3.25
colors are a marron to brick red color white belly and bright yellow dorasl with very long filament that goes past its tail..very pretty when dispalying its under side will turn bright blue and its tail as well females are very drap marron and a plae underside and the dorsal is not bright at all
very common and cheap
****this fish is also one of the more aggressive fairys*********

Male

 

[detguy123]

Cirrhilabrus punctatus
Fine-spotted fairy wrasse
found all over the south Pacific
size large to 4.5 in
colors are highly variable..i have seen alot of vairents of this fish some are purple some are green some are a red color..and some are a mix of all of these..they will have spots all over the body and females are a very drap color of the male with spots and a black dot at the caudal peduncle (tail)
***a very aggressive fairy i put it right there with a Scott's****
pretty common can be cheap though i have seen some expensive

Male (variant 1)

Male (variant 2)

 

[Reef Goddess]

Maybe it depends on the fish because I had a scott's for a long time and he wasn't that aggressive at all. How big is your tank? Can I post some wrasse pictures too? ;]

 

[detguy123]

Reef Goddess I have kept a Scott's before that was a big wuss but in general these fish are known to be very very nasty and most that i talk to have said the same..they are better off in a tank with just a male and some females..but if you had a very large tank you might get away with keeping them with others...the Scott's that i have kept have been in a 180

 

[MarvinsReef]

Orange Back Fairy wrasse -- Cirrhilabrus Aurantidorsalis

*** Location: Eastern Tomini Bay and Sulawesi; Occurs in depths around 25m
*** Size: Small to about 4"
*** Color: Purple head and some of body with bright orange back with blue belly
*** Juveniles: More of a green color on the back
*** Females: Never seen a female, very closely related to the female Solar fairy wrasse
*** Price: Occasionally available


Male

pic/info/details from detguy123 -- Thanks!

 

[MarvinsReef]

Condei Fairy wrasse -- Cirrhilabrus Condei

*** Location: New Guinea to northern Great Barrier Reef
*** Size: Small to about 3.75"
*** Color: Bright red and white belly with neon dots in the fins.. the anal is trimmed with blue.. the dorsal has red black and yellow in it
*** Females: Drab red/purple color with a blue/white belly
*** Price: Pretty cheap and occasionally available


Male (displaying 1)

Male (displaying 2)

pics/info/details from detguy123 -- Thanks!

 

[MarvinsReef]

Red Velvet Fairy -- Male

pic from detguy123 -- Thanks!


info/details coming soon....

 

[MarvinsReef]

Laboutei Fairy wrasse -- Male

pic from detguy123 -- Thanks!

pic from MarvinsReef -- Thanks!


info/details coming soon....

 

[MarvinsReef]

Lineatus Fairy wrasse -- Male

pic from detguy123 -- Thanks!

pic from MarvinsReef -- Thanks!


info/details coming soon....

 

[MarvinsReef]

Hawaiian Flame wrasse -- Male

pics from JuniorMC8704 -- Thanks!


info/details coming soon....