Flasher wrasses with white bellies

[christinna77]

Hey all,
I have a silly question - I absolutely adore flasher wrasses that have mostly white undersides, but I often see them with predominantly yellow, purple or red bellies, even if it's the same species.

Example 1: Why does one have a white belly while another has a yellow one if both are diamonds? Is it related to gender, age, color variation?



Example 2: Both are McCosker's, but the first one has a rather orange/red belly.

I went to my LFS several times to look at flashers and I've not seen a single one with a white belly - their colors were rather washed out and completely different from what I've seen in videos/pictures. Which flasher wrasse in particular should I aim for? Thank you! :)

 

[christinna77]

Bump, @i cant think would you know the answer as our wrasse expert?

 

[i cant think]

Hey all,
I have a silly question - I absolutely adore flasher wrasses that have mostly white undersides, but I often see them with predominantly yellow, purple or red bellies, even if it's the same species.

Example 1: Why does one have a white belly while another has a yellow one if both are diamonds? Is it related to gender, age, color variation?



Example 2: Both are McCosker's, but the first one has a rather orange/red belly.

I went to my LFS several times to look at flashers and I've not seen a single one with a white belly - their colors were rather washed out and completely different from what I've seen in videos/pictures. Which flasher wrasse in particular should I aim for? Thank you! :)

IME it’s often the angle of the photo if it’s a still image. Also the lighting can cause variation.

But in other occasions it generally is either just how the fish is feeling or age depending on the species.

 

[christinna77]

IME it’s often the angle of the photo if it’s a still image. Also the lighting can cause variation.

But in other occasions it generally is either just how the fish is feeling or age depending on the species.

Interesting, thank you very much! So the particular species doesn't really matter? As I've seen white bellies on a Diamond, McCosker's, and Carpenter's.