Wrasse id

offthehook · Feb 17, 2026

Bought this little guy about a month and a half ago as a girdled wrasse but he was so tiny when I got him and had very little purple/red on him at that point but over the last month he has gotten this mottled appearance with a mixture of purple/pinkish coloration. I haven’t seen many girdled wrasses in my time in the hobby si wasn’t sure how to id him this small. He is still very small but curious if anyone could confirm his id? Pics and video aren’t the best, the full tank shot he is up by the gorgonian in the upper middle/right of the tank. Sorry for bad pics using an orange lens in the first pic so it is distorted but hoping it is enough to determine . He is a little pig and has grown a lot in the last few weeks

tbrown · Feb 17, 2026

@Slocke @i cant think ?

Slocke · Feb 17, 2026

offthehook said:
Bought this little guy about a month and a half ago as a girdled wrasse but he was so tiny when I got him and had very little purple/red on him at that point but over the last month he has gotten this mottled appearance with a mixture of purple/pinkish coloration. I haven’t seen many girdled wrasses in my time in the hobby si wasn’t sure how to id him this small. He is still very small but curious if anyone could confirm his id? Pics and video aren’t the best, the full tank shot he is up by the gorgonian in the upper middle/right of the tank. Sorry for bad pics using an orange lens in the first pic so it is distorted but hoping it is enough to determine . He is a little pig and has grown a lot in the last few weeks

Hard to say but pretty sure it’s a lubbocks fairy wrasse. Cirrhilabrus lubbocki

offthehook · Feb 17, 2026

Slocke said:
Hard to say but pretty sure it’s a lubbocks fairy wrasse. Cirrhilabrus lubbocki

Interesting! Yes it does indeed look like the coloration for sure. Weird when I got him he had the slight green color which has turned purple and distinct pink line vertical that looked like it might develop as described with the girdled (cirrhilabrus balteatus). It was labeled that way from quality marine but who can tell that small. So yeah maybe mislabeled and possibly a lubbocks. I paid a heftier price than the lubbocks but that’s ok as they are pretty too! I’ll try and get a batter picture. Were you able to view the video?

Slocke · Feb 17, 2026

offthehook said:
Interesting! Yes it does indeed look like the coloration for sure. Weird when I got him he had the slight green color which has turned purple and distinct pink line vertical that looked like it might develop as described with the girdled (cirrhilabrus balteatus). It was labeled that way from quality marine but who can tell that small. So yeah maybe mislabeled and possibly a lubbocks. I paid a heftier price than the lubbocks but that’s ok as they are pretty too! I’ll try and get a batter picture. Were you able to view the video?

I wasn’t able to see the video.

Lubbocks is a very broad species and has a ton of variance. Personally it’s one of my favorites and would have it over the balteatus but it is more common. It is also a better fit for a tank your size. Balteatus get big for a fairy and the usual recommendation is a 4-5' tank.

offthehook · Feb 17, 2026

Slocke said:
I wasn’t able to see the video.

Lubbocks is a very broad species and has a ton of variance. Personally it’s one of my favorites and would have it over the balteatus but it is more common. It is also a better fit for a tank your size. Balteatus get big for a fairy and the usual recommendation is a 4-5' tank.

Thanks, yeah I wouldn’t be disappointed at all with the lubbocks. I don’t know why my videos don’t show when I post them. Need to figure that out. To be honest I’m past maxed out with wrasses but I couldn’t pass the little guy up to see him develop. I’ll likely have to rehome a couple in the next 6-8 months but we shall see, they all seem happy at the moment. . Thanks for your input!