The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[i cant think]

Initially bothered me but 5 minutes later he was swimming all over. That depression was the only place for him to hide. He arrived the night before.

Honestly, if they’re swimming shortly after laying down I don’t get bothered by it, my naokoae was laying down and then swam up after about 5 minutes. He’s officially my most incredible fish considering the damage he had when he went from my nano to my 4’ tank only in summer of 2022.
Here’s when he first went into the 4’ tank (July/August time), as you can see the damage was to the point I didn’t even know if he’d survive the night. He swam so weakly.

And here he is now with his fat stomach from feeding time!

 

[i cant think]

Here’s the wrasses feeding, everyone goes mad but the wrasses end up as some of the fattest!

 

[SaltyT]

I’ll throw my 2 cents regarding the Bipartitus vs. Marisrubri ID debate. In all the literature regarding these two species, visually females can only be told apart just as @OrionN said by the dorsal fin, Marisrubri is more pronounced than Bipartitus. But if you want to know 100% whether you’re buying Bipartitus vs. Marisrubri ask the seller where the fish came from; if it came from a Red Sea shipment it’s Marisrubri, if it didn’t then it’s Bipartitus

 

[Tcook]

I think we should rename this species the 6-6-6 lines wrasse.
Seriously, My experience with a Six-line wrasse was 20+ years ago and I never bought one since. A good friend of mine leave the country, and I inherited his fishes, including a Sixline wrasse so I have one now. That is the total of 3 Six line I owned, and 2 I bought over the 43 years of reefing.
I had a 420 gal reef in the 2000's. Thriving. In it among other fishes are a pair of Six line wrasse and a pair of Mandarin Dragonets. They were together for several YEARS, all 4 fishes are doing great and spawned regularly.
One day the Sixline pair decided to take out the Mandarin. The attack occurred very quickly right in front of my eyes. In less than a minutes, no more than a few seconds, the Sixline pair took out the eyes of the female Mandarin, one right after the other in coordinated attacks. One Sixline one eye and the other the other eye. The mandarin was helpless, did noT even have time to swim away.
The thing is right after the attack, the Sixline pair just go about without given the Mandarin a second look. They even ignored the male Mandarin. I took the Sixline to the LFS that weekend after trapping them. They are such bold fish and good eater that trapping was easy. I euthanized the female Mandarin a few weeks later when it was clear to me that she will not recover her eyesight and became emaciated.
I know that eliminating the competition is something wild animal need to do to ensure their survival, but this is too much like premediated murder to me. I never look at Six line wrasse the same since. The current Sixline wrasse I have is beautiful. There is no denied that they are beautiful fish, but not in my DT. The current Sixline will forever live in my QT and possible in my DT's sump if I need to QT some fish in my DT. He will never see my DT sump or DT.

Devil in my tank

They are a beautiful fish. I think those "sunglasses " eyes hook people into buying them. Then they realize what they have done.

 

[OrchidMiss]

 

[i cant think]

Your gang is making me rethink my wrasses again…

 

[SaltyT]

Nice exquisite wrasse! You don’t see the Pacific Ocean variants as often. Keep an eye on that temminckii with him.

 

[OrchidMiss]

Your gang is making me rethink my wrasses again…

Well, now I need name help. Hah!
The yellow is obviously Goldfinger. Ruby headed is Odd Job. The other 3 need Bond Villain or sidekick names

 

[Zero_Cool]

What fish is this? (aside from beautiful)

 

[Slocke]

What fish is this? (aside from beautiful)

Exquisite or Cirrhilabrus exquisitus

 

[Zero_Cool]

Thank you. Looks a little different than images I have seen. Small variations in each fish are fantastic.

The Exquisite is on my "wants" list.

 

[Slocke]

Thank you. Looks a little different than images I have seen. Small variations in each fish are fantastic.

The Exquisite is on my "wants" list.

They have a few different color variations. Here's my African. It's a great fairy, peaceful, pretty and fairly common.

 

[OrchidMiss]

Are you guys able to tell me roughly how old mine are, based on coloring?
The yellow is roughly 2 years old, and was one of my fist fish in the tank. I'm guessing is full sized? Around 4-5 inches.

 

[Petcrazyson]

@i cant think is there a way I can tell the difference between a new male from a mature male for the Naoko and the attenuatus?

 

[i cant think]

@i cant think is there a way I can tell the difference between a new male from a mature male for the Naoko and the attenuatus?

Honestly, it’s the colouring. If the fish shows female colouring still then they’re new males but if there is no female colouring they’re mature males.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Honestly, it’s the colouring. If the fish shows female colouring still then they’re new males but if there is no female colouring they’re mature males.

Can I get some pic references pls ? Giving you a little work that’s all

 

[OrionN]

New to fully mature.the last picture is a wild caught fish. First two is the same fish. I often took aerial pictures of my fish.

 

[Petcrazyson]

New to fully mature.

Thank you! The two final pics are from different males so I’m guessing the female coloring is different slightly?

 

[OrionN]

in the wild Diamond tails flashers are deep water fish. Their color darken quite a bit living in my tanks. Let me see if I can find serial pictures and female pictures of my Diamond tail.

 

[KassScott]

Gorgeous Diamond tail!! While on the subject of your fish @OrionN…. We were discussing your 8 line flasher the other day. Do you have a pic of him? Insight into temperament etc? Trying to build my list and saw one of these and I think @Petcrazyson said you have one?