Let Me ID Your Wrasse!

AngryOwl · Oct 6, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
Correctly sold as male crescent tail, C. cf. lunatus.

Thank you! I was trying to tag you also but it wasn't working. How big will this guy grow, I can't seem to find any information, probably barely over 2 inches currently.

eatbreakfast · Oct 6, 2017

AngryOwl said:
Thank you! I was trying to tag you also but it wasn't working. How big will this guy grow, I can't seem to find any information, probably barely over 2 inches currently.

They get to a little over 4".

DLuce510 · Oct 8, 2017

A little help.

leahfiish · Oct 8, 2017

Crescent tail fairy wrasse I think? Defer to the experts if they say something else though.

Also I have a question what's the difference between c. lunatus and c. cf lunatus? I know cf means similar to, so they are different species but I'm having a hard time figuring out which is which since there seems to be a lot of individual variations? Plus a lot of pictures seem to be mislabeled.

DLuce510 · Oct 8, 2017

leahfiish said:
Crescent tail fairy wrasse I think? Defer to the experts if they say something else though.

Also I have a question what's the difference between c. lunatus and c. cf lunatus? I know cf means similar to, so they are different species but I'm having a hard time figuring out which is which since there seems to be a lot of individual variations? Plus a lot of pictures seem to be mislabeled.

I'd agree, that what it appears to be. Any idea on what a typical fair price is?

eatbreakfast · Oct 8, 2017

DLuce510 said:
A little help.

C. cf. lunatus.

leahfiish said:
Crescent tail fairy wrasse I think? Defer to the experts if they say something else though.

Also I have a question what's the difference between c. lunatus and c. cf lunatus? I know cf means similar to, so they are different species but I'm having a hard time figuring out which is which since there seems to be a lot of individual variations? Plus a lot of pictures seem to be mislabeled.

cf means to confer. A cf. species may or may not be a new species, so if one is going to consider describing one scientifically, they would confer to the description of a close relative.

In the case of C. lunatus and C. cf. lunatus, the original description is of a specimen from Japan, whereas the specimens being collected from the Philippines are cf. lunatus. These populations may or may not be separate species, based on range and coloration.

DLuce510 said:
I'd agree, that what it appears to be. Any idea on what a typical fair price is?

Males are usually around $150.

DLuce510 · Oct 8, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
C. cf. lunatus.

cf means to confer. A cf. species may or may not be a new species, so if one is going to consider describing one scientifically, they would confer to the description of a close relative.

In the case of C. lunatus and C. cf. lunatus, the original description is of a specimen from Japan, whereas the specimens being collected from the Philippines are cf. lunatus. These populations may or may not be separate species, based on range and coloration.

Males are usually around $150.

Thanks for the help guys, thats why I love this place. Guess $80 was a steal for a sub-male!

evolved · Oct 9, 2017

leahfiish said:
Also I have a question what's the difference between c. lunatus and c. cf lunatus?

Subtle difference. The visual differences are that the Japanese has a gold bar on the sides, whereas the Philippine has a lateral stripe in its place (very similar to C. isosceles in this regard).

C. lunatus (Japan):

C. cf. lunatus (Philippians):

The last two posted above on this thread both appear as true lunatus to me, fwiw.

townjas · Oct 9, 2017

I'd on the pink and white fairy?

evolved · Oct 9, 2017

townjas said:
I'd on the pink and white fairy?

female C. lubbocki

DLuce510 · Oct 9, 2017

Judging from the pictures above, now that he has settled down he appears to be a Japanese C. Lunatus

evolved · Oct 9, 2017

DLuce510 said:
Judging from the pictures above, now that he has settled down he appears to be a Japanese C. Lunatus

Yup

(Although it's probably from the northern Philippines. The "Japanese" label on lunatus may be a misnomer.)
It's more correct to say it's C. lunatus (and not C. cf. lunatus).

townjas · Oct 9, 2017

evolved said:
female C. lubbocki

Thanks!

AngryOwl · Oct 11, 2017

DLuce510 said:
Judging from the pictures above, now that he has settled down he appears to be a Japanese C. Lunatus

Mine doesn't have blue like that on his tail. Your original pictures showed him with a clear/white tail, looked just like mine. I'll try to grab another photo.

evolved · Oct 11, 2017

The amount of black in the fins will be variable unless it's a terminal male.

Zack K · Oct 14, 2017

I saw these three at my LFS and was wondering what they were to do some research on them.

eatbreakfast · Oct 14, 2017

Zack Klabunde said:
I saw these three at my LFS and was wondering what they were to do some research on them.

Top pic, Halichoeres radiatus, pudding wife Wrasse. They get big, are semi-aggressive, and will eat motile inverts.

Lower pic, Halichoeres iridis. A more peaceful species. May eat inverts.

Zack K · Oct 15, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
Top pic, Halichoeres radiatus, pudding wife Wrasse. They get big, are semi-aggressive, and will eat motile inverts.

Lower pic, Halichoeres iridis. A more peaceful species. May eat inverts.

Thank you! What is the 3rd picture? I know it’s blurry, but the color and shape is their.

eatbreakfast · Oct 15, 2017

Zack Klabunde said:
Thank you! What is the 3rd picture? I know it’s blurry, but the color and shape is their.

I didn't even notice the third picture originally. Hologymnus rhodonotus, a type of cigar Wrasse. Gets big, fairly peaceful for it's size, but will eat inverts.

deedubz · Oct 16, 2017

She was sold to me as a lunatus but I'm not convinced. She's VERY pink/violet. Johnsoni? Squirei?
Pattern and tiny spot near tail match pictures of female squirei but her vivid pink looks like a picture I saw of @evolved 's female Johnsoni