The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[Morpheosz]

I've done quite a bit of searching and not quite finding this exact combo so forgive me if this is buried in these 738 pages :).

I have a Christmas Wrasse in a 75 who is super happy and outgoing and peaceful to a variety of other fish. My LFS has a Yellow Coris wrasse that I'd love to add to add some more color. Any thoughts about those two together in a 75?

 

[SaltyT]

I've done quite a bit of searching and not quite finding this exact combo so forgive me if this is buried in these 738 pages :).

I have a Christmas Wrasse in a 75 who is super happy and outgoing and peaceful to a variety of other fish. My LFS has a Yellow Coris wrasse that I'd love to add to add some more color. Any thoughts about those two together in a 75?

Which Christmas wrasse do you have? There are several that go by that common name. If it's a halichoeres biocellatus or halichoeres claudia then a yellow wrasse would be fine.

 

[Morpheosz]

Which Christmas wrasse do you have? There are several that go by that common name. If it's a halichoeres biocellatus or halichoeres claudia then a yellow wrasse would be fine.

Thanks! It looks like a claudia as it has the black spot on it's dorsal fin.

 

[i cant think]

Thanks! It looks like a claudia as it has the black spot on it's dorsal fin.

Got any photos? We may be able to ID it properly.

 

[Morpheosz]

Got any photos? We may be able to ID it properly.

I don't and he or she seems to be tucked into the sand for the night :D

However, he or she looks like this stock internet photo... Colors, stripes, 2 black dots. I can grab a photo tomorrow if this isn't conclusive.

 

[i cant think]

I don't and he or she seems to be tucked into the sand for the night :D

However, he or she looks like this stock internet photo... Colors, stripes, 2 black dots. I can grab a photo tomorrow if this isn't conclusive.

I’d say a transitional biocellatus. Claudia as a juvenile/female will have a much more linear pattern IME.
Here’s a comparison between the two, Biocellatus being the top and claudia being the bottom.

 

[Morpheosz]

I’d say a transitional biocellatus. Claudia as a juvenile/female will have a much more linear pattern IME.
Here’s a comparison between the two, Biocellatus being the top and claudia being the bottom.

 

[Morpheosz]

Interesting, I can see the challenge in ID'ing these guys. I'll post a pic tomorrow when he / she is out and about. I also noticed Halichoeres ornatissimus pics look similar too.

Perhaps most important to my original question, are there any varieties that look similar to this that would be a problem to add a yellow coris wrasse to?

 

[i cant think]

Interesting, I can see the challenge in ID'ing these guys. I'll post a pic tomorrow when he / she is out and about. I also noticed Halichoeres ornatissimus pics look similar too.

Yeah, Halichoeres ornatissimus is also similar but if I remember correctly it’s been banned due to the Hawaiian ban. I may be incorrect and it might have been one of the other 6-7 wrasses that go under the name Christmas Wrasse.

 

[Morpheosz]

Here is my actual fish…

 

[SaltyT]

Here is my actual fish…

You have a female H. biocellatus :)

 

[i cant think]

You have a female H. biocellatus :)

Dang you got to it before me, I’d agree with biocellatus though!

 

[Morpheosz]

You have a female H. biocellatus :)

Ooh, awesome, thanks! How do you identify the sex?

 

[i cant think]

Ooh, awesome, thanks! How do you identify the sex?

Colouration is the best way.

 

[SaltyT]

Ooh, awesome, thanks! How do you identify the sex?

Males have vastly different colors. Here's an example of a terminal male:

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Can and ONE of these go in a 40 breeder? Red lined wrasse, filamented flasher wrasse, carpenter flasher, and mccosker's flasher.

I'd do one of those and 1 flasher, not 3 flashers. Maybe a Lubbock's fairy as well.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Specifically im only looking to add one wrasse to a tank with the following fish:
YWG
Firefish
Frostbite clownfish
Royal gramma
Skunk shrimp
tiger pistol shrimp.

I'm most interested in the McCosker's Flasher Wrasse.

That is an excellent choice to go with those fish

 

[i cant think]

Specifically im only looking to add one wrasse to a tank with the following fish:
YWG
Firefish
Frostbite clownfish
Royal gramma
Cleaner shrimp
tiger pistol shrimp.

I'm most interested in the McCosker's Flasher Wrasse.

If the tank is 4’ you can get away with a mccosker or actually most flashers. Be warned;
Many photos you see are these fish actually flashing or are exceptional specimens. Very few people find specimens that look similar to those photos online however even then, they very rarely meet the standards in photos. Also, images online will often be taken under curtain lighting to get the best of the fish.

Most of the time these fish will be relatively dull and only show those beautiful patterns when they’re flashing.

Another thing to look out for is many will be misidentified, I recommend grabbing a young male as it’ll be easier to know which species you have. Filaments are the easiest way to tell certain flashers appart as Mccosker only has 1 and Carpenteri has 3. The only issue then is when you get flashers like filamentosus and cyanea that look very similar until they flash. The Yellowfin flasher is also commonly mistaken for carpenteri and mccoskeri.


Id personally go for the Halichoeres biocellatus as they’re excellent for reef clean up and will eat most of the unneeded animals such as flatworms, bristleworms, red bugs ect…

 

[Crabby48]

Can and ONE of these go in a 40 breeder? Red lined wrasse, filamented flasher wrasse, carpenter flasher, and mccosker's flasher.

I’ll go against the others and say 40 probably small for a flasher. I find they like room. Specially taller tanks. Also a bit small for a red line. Could be done bit fish may not be as happy.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I’ll go against the others and say 40 probably small for a flasher. I find they like room. Specially taller tanks. Also a bit small for a red line. Could be done bit fish may not be as happy.

I would agree with this, but I'd rather see someone stick a small McCosker's or carpenters flasher in a 40B than a fish like a lineatus fairy, a bluehead fairy, or a melanurus wrasse, which seems to be what normally happens when people insist on putting a smaller wrasse that's not a sixline in a tank this size.