Let Me ID Your Wrasse!

[eatbreakfast]

So black live reef sand from caribsea not a good choice

No, thats fine, it is not too course.

 

[chillinreefer]

Okay good because I just bought a new bag so I can put more sand for them

 

[mmarro99]

Males go for between $90--$150 on average, females can be found between $45-$65. In the last year or so they have been collected much more frequently.

Crazy. .. Thank you

 

[townjas]

So black live reef sand from caribsea not a good choice

No that should be fine.

 

[Rutrag]

Labelled as a filamented, but I'm not 100%.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Labelled as a filamented, but I'm not 100%.

P. angulatus, royal flasher.

 

[Rutrag]

P. angulatus, royal flasher.

That's what I was thinking, but couldn't get him to flash to look at the fin rays.

 

[Rybren]

I came across a beautiful wrasse in an LFS today. The fellow working the shop said that it came in as a Katherine's wrasse. Looking at the images online, it looks nothing like a Katherinae.

This fish was light blue with darker spots that almost formed lines and had a very distinct diamond shaped tail that came to a point. The closest looking fish that I could find was a Rhomboid, but it was much paler than the images that I found online and the colouration was quite different. Any thoughts as to what it might be other than a Rhomboid? The price was $189

Sorry, I didn't have a camera or phone with me, so no pics

Thanks

This is why pics are so important...

1. The fish was not light blue, it was red (although, in my defence, under actinics only, the red was very muted)
2. The dots that almost formed a line weren't dots, but an actual line

The store owner was in yesterday and said that the price wasn't $189, it was $250. He also said that it wasn't a Katherinae, but was, in fact a Pintail Flasher.

Looking at pictures online of a Pintail, this fish is indeed, a Pintail. Should have snapped it up at $189 :)

God, I hate these senior moments.

 

[Wrassesngobies]

So this was at petco as condei which it definitely isn't. I'm thinking it's in the pylei group. I already have one larger female like this but she has so much personality I had to buy this chick too. She has the black spot on her caudal peduncle and a small black spot on the leading edge of her dorsal fin like the other female with some faint striations on it as well, much like the close ups on the cf. cyanopleura types. The original one is much larger than male Lubbocks I have seen. The older female also has long ventral fins. Also, there are some dark horizontal stripes in the head pattern as well. Both were 40 bucks.

Zac

 

[Duke4Life]

Looks a bit like a c. pylei.

 

[Wrassesngobies]

That was my gut reaction and I have the Rainbow and Fairy Book by Kuiter, as well as the Wrasse Bible by Kuiter as well, and it really didn't match with condei, either time.

 

[Duke4Life]

Can you get a tail pick?

 

[Wrassesngobies]

It doesnt have the dark band. Surprisingly cooperative in the qt tank.

 

[Wrassesngobies]

Another of her. From my phone.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Yeah, cf. pylei.

 

[Wrassesngobies]

What do they usually run, price wise? The original one I have isn't aggressive at all, but she doesn't really take any crap from the flasher she is in with, who is kind of a jerk. He's actually one of the most aggressive and dominant wrasses I own. The female cf. pylei definitely knows who I am and actively begs for food, and even has rammed my fingers trying to get food. I see they are yellow on Hunter's complex chart and he says they are variable on the agro scale. The big one is nowhere close to changing to male. I've had her 4 months and she sat at petco for 3 or so, because I watched her and wanted to get her but the time was never right.

Zac

 

[Duke4Life]

Looks just like my pylei! I got mine for $50 which I didn't think was bad (local owned swfs).

 

[Wrassesngobies]

They were 40 at petco for each. A lfs has a male for 160. His quality is always good and his fish are healthy. I haven't seen pylei at the other lfs around Raleigh.

 

[Wrassesngobies]

I had this female this spring but she had swim bladder issues unfortunately. I think she was an exquisite possibly.

 

[eatbreakfast]

What do they usually run, price wise? The original one I have isn't aggressive at all, but she doesn't really take any crap from the flasher she is in with, who is kind of a jerk. He's actually one of the most aggressive and dominant wrasses I own. The female cf. pylei definitely knows who I am and actively begs for food, and even has rammed my fingers trying to get food. I see they are yellow on Hunter's complex chart and he says they are variable on the agro scale. The big one is nowhere close to changing to male. I've had her 4 months and she sat at petco for 3 or so, because I watched her and wanted to get her but the time was never right.

Zac

Females will go between $30-$50.

I had this female this spring but she had swim bladder issues unfortunately. I think she was an exquisite possibly.

A young male exquisite.