CirrWrIDFAQ2

FAQs on Fairy, Velvet Wrasses, Genus Cirrhilabrus Identification 2

Fish identity 2/14/19
Hey guys seeing if you can help with this one
<Hey Tom>
They are imported from the Philippines as lineatus wrasses but really are not showing the same colors and patterns.
<It looks like a Female Social - Ruby Longfin fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis). Image is not too sharp. Cheers. Wil.>

Re: Fish identity 2/15/19
found it threadfin fairy wrasse
<Ahh ... it's very similar to the (C. rubriventralis), glad you cleared the doubt! Greetings. Wil.>

Please ID this Wrasse 4/23/16
I recently purchased this fish from an online retailer. I believe I received something different than I ordered. Could you please ID this fish for me?
Thank you for your time and effort in this matter.
Maureen
<Survey says!
Tapio Haaparanta A nicely Photoshopped C. pylei says me buddy Derek Clay.
Tapio Haaparanta Vanuatu variant possibly.
Janine Nealon C. Pylei
Brandon Knapp Hunter Hammond
Bob Fenner Thank you Tap, Jan, Bran... Will relay

Re: Please ID this Wrasse 4/23/16
Thank you for your replies. I thought it was a Cirrhilabrus pylei, I ordered a Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus. I used my iPad for taking pictures. Other than zooming in, cropping or reducing size and maybe auto adjust, I did not change things. He is really very colorful, especially when directly under my LEDs. I understand he will probably fade that is okay as long as he does not become too aggressive, that is my only concern, Thank you once again. I appreciate your identifying the Cirrhilabrus pylei for me.
Maureen
<Certainly welcome. Bob Fenner>

Mystery wrasse at the lfs 12/24/14
Hi,
<Howdy>
I came across a wrasse that the lfs couldn't find the name.. The pic isn't the best from my phone but..here you go... It came in with a Marshall island order and the wholesaler mislabeled the fish as a cigar wrasse. The colors are more vivid than what my iPhone took. Thank you
Frank
<Looks to be an initial phase (female) Cirrhilabrus katherinae to me. Bob Fenner>

Re: Mystery wrasse at the lfs 12/24/14
That's it... I guess I couldn't stump you today.. Thank you and happy holidays!!!
Frank
<And you, BobF>

Fairy Wrasse ID 11/9/13
<Your pix are too blurry, poorly resolved... Use a better camera, crop and re-send>
Hi Guys,
Can you help me ID these fairy wrasses in the attached photos. I have a well established 180 gal saltwater tank with live rock. I bought a m/f pair of these from a large LFS here in Orange County CA about a week ago.
They're doing great and now I want to buy 4 more females to start a harem.
The LFS owner says she doesn't know what species they are. All she knows is that she bought them about 2 weeks ago at a wholesalers in LA. I combed through your web site and maybe they're a Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis from the Philippines, but I can't be sure.
If I'm going to find more females its kind of important that I find the right ones! Oh and sorry for the fuzzy photos I took them with my cell phone. I really appreciate your help.
Thanks,
Kris Hublitz
Laguna Niguel, CA

Hiro sends a Velvet pic (via FB!)! 9/3/13
田中宏幸
Hello, friend. How do you do ? I got a 6 cm long male of Cirrhilabrus naokoae (in display), from Indonesia and an 8cm male C. earlei, from the Marshalls. You may use for your web and I hope so. Good Luck and thanks. Sincerely, Hiroyuki
Bob Fenner
Tanaka-san! How have you been? Thank you for the pic!

Wrasse Identification 6/29/12
Hello Crew,
<... six megs of pix? Should just delete this, but... >
I recently purchased this wrasse from my LFS and was looking to get one or two more to keep him company, but I don't know what he is.
<Is a female (turning into a male) of some sort of Cirrhilabrus...>
I have been told its a Rhomboid Wrasse, a Pylei Wrasse, and a Red Fin Fairy Wrasse. I've gone through your site trying to figure out what he is, but still no luck. I have attached a couple pictures.
Thank you all so much!
<A bit more waiting... a few months, and you should be able to discern which. Bob Fenner>

Re: Wrasse Identification 6/29/12
So sorry about the pictures. I thought I resized them but I guess something went wrong.
<Ah ha!>
Next time I will have the kids show me how to do it.
<Heeee>
I will just be patient then. Thanks for your help.
<Welcome. BobF>

Cirrhilabrus ID 8/29/11
Hello Bob and Crew,
<Harris>
This should be a relatively easy one today. I'm trying to ID the following Cirrhilabrus. It is being offered as C. scottorum, but the full black dorsal and anal fins are throwing me off. Could this be a regional variation?
<Could be. See the selection of pix for this sp. on Fishbase.org:
http://fishbase.org/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.php?ID=12728>
Many thanks for your time.
Best,
Chris
<Welcome. Bob Fenner; yes, up ahead of four AM out in Fiji... for a 3.5 h boat ride, five tank dives...>

Re: Cirrhilabrus ID 8/29/11
Enjoy, Bob, absolutely jealous.
<Oh man, I am fried from the sun and splash from today... afraid to drink a bier for fear I'll fall dead asleep at the computer>
We just put our Maldives trip off by a year, but it's on the calendar for Oct'12!
<Oh! Some friends and I are hoping to make it out there in May 2012.>
Thanks and best,
Chris
<Cheers! BobF>

Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis pictures 10/6/10
Hello, I hate to point this out, but I am fairly confident there is a picture of a Lineatus wrasse incorrectly identified as a Rhomboid wrasse on the Cirrhilabrus info page 2
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cirrhilabruspt2.htm). It is the bottom picture
I am questioning (4th picture, 2nd row). My apologies if I am incorrect.
Regards,
Hunter Hammond

A new Cirrhilabrus 2-12-08 Hello, I am sorry for my long silence. I hope you are fine. <Do'o tashi mashiite my friend> I got an unusual Cirrhilabrus species from Indonesian waters. Two males are here, some 70mm & 75mm long, but the locality in detail is not known. I hope some ichthyologist to name it soon, and maybe Allen or Randall would describe it. They informed me that it should be new. Now I call it the 'Shark-finned Fairy Wrasse'. With Best Wishes, Hiroyuki <Do'omo Tanakasan. Bob Fenner>

ID Please: Cirrhilabrus exquisitus and Syconoid Sponges -- 1/28/08 <Hi there!> Can someone please tell me what these are in the attached photos from my reef tank? They look like some sort of egg sacs, and if they are sacs of some creature that I don't want in my tank, then I would just as soon remove them now. If they are something I would like, then obviously I would keep them. <No worries with these, you can keep them. They're harmless, filter feeding sponges in the genus Sycon, also called Syconoid sponges. For more information/photos, please see the FAQ's at this link (and related links above): http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spgidf7.htm > For your info, I have: 1 Naso Tang 1 Foxface Tang 4 clownfish 2 black clowns 1 Snowflake eel 1 Fu Manchu lion 1 yellow angel 1 electric flame scallop <Very difficult to keep.> numerous snails two tiny hermits that stowed away with the snails some chromis that disappeared (lion food?) 2 Wrasse (type unknown, will attach pic also). <Looks like the Fairy Wrasse Cirrhilabrus exquisitus, commonly called the Exquisite Wrasse. Considering all those colors, I'd say that it's a very apt name! By the way, color can vary depending on place of origin, whether it's male or female, etc. Here's a photo of one for comparison (and lookee there, it's Bob's photo!). http://wetwebfotos.com/media/medium/1/600_Cirrhilabrus_exquisitusAQ.tif.jpg More information on this genus: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/cirrhilabrus/index.htm > Thank you.
<You're very welcome! Take care. -- Lynn>

Australian Scott's Fairy Wrasse 11/27/2007 Hi Bob, <Hey Peg> I know I told you I'd send a pic of the fabulous Aussie Scott's Fairy when I could get a good one, and in the event I've not yet forwarded the pic, I'm attaching one here. He's comfortable in one of the store display reefs now (180) and draws a lot of attention! He goes 5 to 6" and has a great appetite. What a wonderful fish. The H. trispilus/chrysus/cross/hybrid is also doing well and is a stunning fish whatever he is. :O) Off to do some water changes. Hope this finds you having a great week! Peggy www.all-reef.com <Thank you my friend... am out visiting in much warmer Hawaii... Will post with credit to you. Cheers, BobF>

Re: Australian Scott's Fairy Wrasse 11/27/2007 Hawaii, uh? I'm jealous. We're looking at 3-5" of snow tonight, and the temp when I awoke this morning was 3 degrees with a -15 windchill. How's that grab you? :O) <Low, and very hard... I "like" the snow... can tolerate (short-term) some cold... but very much prefer the tropics> I've attached some pics of a very nice piece of Australian coral, a Duncanopsammia axifuga. They ship a bit poorly but always bounce back with good care and lots of good food. They're voracious feeders. <Mmmm, thank you for this... Am thinking of asking how much time you might have to help us/WWM out... with the more detailed reef questions... And...> Off to work. Do enjoy the sweet and warm sunshine of the islands for me! P

Re: Australian Scott's Fairy Wrasse 11/28/2007 Hi Bob, <Peg> Thanks for the good laugh on your comment regarding our weather. It was very descript. :O) Looks like our snow will not be upon us until later today. One can't rely too heavily on the weathermen or women. I prefer the look out the window method. It's more accurate. <And satisfying all the way around> Perhaps in the future I can make time to assist on WWM as you suggest. I'm presently a one-woman band in my store, i.e., chief cook and bottle washer, the sole soul of proprietorship. <Outstanding... I spent some 14 years on the floor in pet-fish retail myself... Not an easy job.> I'm flattered to think you would consider me though. I've been considering sponsorsing at WWM because it's such an incredible site and offers a plethera of quality info. Because I essentially detest forums (too many "experts" who actually know less than those asking for help), <We share this point of view. I wonder if folks would readily 'listen' to such BBs for other important matters like their health... To me, an unorganized mix of even "Dear Abby" quality banter is a waste of time> I have the utmost respect for you, Calfo, Borneman, Delbeek, and certain others in the industry who do provide quality information. I do have a boatload of information stored away in the noggin after almost 18 years of serious reefing. I anticipate sitting in a retirement home many (hopefully very many) years from now reciting species names and no one else knowing what the hell I'm talking about and assuming I've just slipped into dementia. :O) <Heeee! If I have to go... am going to own the place. Oh, and we'll have fish tanks aplenty> You are correct about the positive attitude towards work and life. Always an optimist. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be pursuing what I love as a livelihood! I was a paralegal for 22 years in the court system working with many judges and lawyers. It's obviously a very political environment and over the past couple of years had worn me down terribly. I finally pulled the plug to pursue my store full-time just this past August. <Ah, congrats!> I had been tinkering with it for over a year. Every morning when I wake up and don't have to suit up and head to the government center, I realize just how wealthy I truly am. I enjoy helping my customers and teaching them how to be successful. <Ahhhh!> My motto is if you don't learn something every time you come into my store, then I haven't done my job. I've developed a pretty good clientele already and word is getting out, so I trust the store will survive. :O) Time to get a move on and get down there. Lots of protein skimmers that need attention and lots of hungry herbivores awaiting my arrival! I'm still jealous you're in Hawaii, but I'll be close when I get to my store! :O) Thanks again Bob, and make it a great day! Oh, please give my regards to Charles Delbeek if you happen to visit the Waikiki, which I can't imagine you wouldn't! He doesn't know I exist, but you can say hello for me anyway. :O) <Have been e-chatting w/ Charlie re he swinging over to the Big Island this go... and us getting in some diving, chatting... We'll see. Cheers, BobF> Peggy
www.all-reef.com

Blue Spotted Jawfish / Peacock, Make That, Redspotted Blenny Compatibility 11/16/07 WWM Crew <Hi Jim, Mich here.> First and foremost, I have just begun to dive into the huge amount of info on your excellent site, and just want to say thank you! <On behalf of Bob and the crew you're welcome!> One year ago I bought a 65gallon bow-front tank (Old Town Aquarium, Chicago, IL) <Is this the place with the dedicated reading nook?> and wish I had had this excellent resource from day one. It has become my preferred casual evening reading:) <Glad to hear... Is often mine also!> Question: <Answer?> In my reef tank, I have two percula clowns, 1 fairy wrasse, and a peacock blenny. <No> Would it be acceptable to add a Blue spot Jawfish ? I am concerned that the blenny might cause a problem.... <The blenny and the Jawfish will both spend most of their time on the bottom part of the tank and may not exactly welcome each other, but like people, personalities vary. Ideally the Jawfish should be the first fish introduced. The Jawfish requires a deep sand bed (should be over 3 inches and deeper is better) and a completely covered tank because they will find the tiniest of holes to escape to drier grounds. More info here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/jawfishe.htm > I have attached a picture of the blenny as I am still not 100% on its identity.... <Mmm, the attached picture is of a Redspotted Blenny (Istiblennius chrysospilos). Not a Peacock Blenny. More info here: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6047 http://www.wetwebmedia.com/blennioids.htm > also is attached a picture of the fairy wrasse, as I would love to be able to get its exact identity. <Is a Red Scaled Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis) you can see more here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/velvetwrfaq2.htm http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=25030&genusname=Cirrhilabrus&speciesname=rubrisquamis > Thanks for the help! <Welcome!> -Jim B.
<Are you part of the three wise men? Heehee! Mich>

Marjorie's Fairy Wrasse photos 4/25/07 Hello, <Tanaka-san!> How do you do ? I am fine. <Fine my friend> Here are some photos for your web, and use any of them if you like. A male of Cirrhilabrus marjorie, 8cm (red & white) and a female, 7cm (red) from Fiji. They feed on various foods well. Best Regards, Hiroyuki <Thank you. Will post with credit to you. Bob Fenner>

Cirrhilabrus misidentified... no pic, spaces twixt words, sentences... Arggggh 6/23/06 Hi Guys and Gals, I love your site! Anytime I have a question I come here. Many thanks for all you do for the hobby. Now for the question of the day. I was at the LFS today and bought a beautiful Cirrhilabrus wrasse that I was told was a female Cirrhilabrus solorensis. I have a male already and couldn't resist. The problem is I don't think it's a female Solorensis at all. My male William) looks just like all the pictures and was very interested in the one I brought home, circling around the bag, flashing, etc. make it short, they're fighting now, with the Solorensis chasing the new GUY around. I have found this fish on your site and would like an ID ,please. The picture of the fish that I got today is the top photo, next to the selections, on this page: www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses. It's the background fish, not the yellow one. I hope it's a female Solorensis, Ut the way they're acting I suspect it's a male of a different Cirrhilabrus. f I'm right, what do I do now? <Fix your English... and enjoy them> Should I remove William for a while ,then try reintroducing him, remodel the tankette. My tank is 105g with plenty of hiding spots, but William hunts him down relentlessly. Cohabits are 2 tomato clowns (who so far don't bother anyone),2 PJ cardinals ,1 bi-color blenny,1 Bluespot jawfish. Please help me with the ID on this fish so I have an idea if this will work or not. <Send along pix...> Thanks so much in advance, Gail <This species has a relatively narrow range of color variation. Please see fishbase. Do run your writing through spelling and grammar checkers before sending. Bob Fenner>

Re: Scott and Solor Fairy wrasse 12/12/05 Marina, Hi, yes they know I was posting, in fact they were flattered, as the gentleman in Japan likes your web site and has contributed from what I understand. If you read the emails, he was flattered. Just look at the dates of the emails. I did put it in order, except the one from Fenton (who is friends with the gentleman from Japan) I put on later as an additional supplement of information on my questions. I will double check, but I do not think Fenton cares either. I was named after Carrie Fisher.....(princess Leah from star wars) My mom liked the name. (I think this was before she was in movies though.....a friend of a friend of a friend knew her mom. My daughters name is Leah...couldn't help myself. Here is a little trivia..... On the first mention of Princess Leah, when they are about to blow up the planet Alderan, that captain refers to her as Princess LEE-AH not LAY-AH. That was the ONLY time her name was said that way, and it was the first time her character was introduced. So I still call her Princess Leah............ Take Care, Carrie :) Female gender > <<To Carrie (Cary is my youngest boy's name), Bob, James Gasta: I need > help picking these messages apart, as there seem to be one "question" > email, with Mr. Walsh's response above the original email, which > appears to be combined with another person's response. Unfortunately, > I don't really have the time to try to sort it all out. I'm going to > move the two messages, along with the one that has the photos, to my > own folder (this is for James). > As for the exchanges, do the people you wrote to and who responded > know that this could be posted publicly? I cannot, in good > conscience, post something from someone who may not have known this. > For this second reason I am waiting to hear back, and/or wait for > Bob's return before posting. > In the meantime, I hope you got your wrasses covered! (Sorry, I just > can't help myself sometimes.) Marina>> <<Posting should be fine. Will do. BobF>

Re: Scott and Solor Fairy wrasse 12/12/05 Hi Bob, Another email from an informed gentleman about the wrasses!!! You will enjoy this! <Carrie, Bob thanks you for sharing. He is on vacation at present but will put into his folder. (Marina can you do this after posting?) James (Salty Dog)> Carrie :)

Scott and Solor Fairy wrasse Hi, > Thanks for your kind consideration. > >Thank you very much for you response! Yes I see that the U.S. > >aquatics industry is pretty much clueless! Sorry about the > >misspelling of Solor, I was coping how everyone else was spelling > >it. > There are many cases that one calls a species with an inappropriate > popular name. Wrasses should not be confused with parrotfishes, but > some call them parrotfishes. > >Pictures 1 & 2 make sense as to being a female of a Solor fairy > >wrasse! The pictures we have here in the United States, I didn't > >really agree with, because females of each species, in my opinion, > >GENERALLY have SOME similarities. I will post these pictures you > >have sent on all and any web sites of aquarists I can find! > Here are some additional photos; #7~ C. cyanopleura, juvenile, and #9~ > C. solorensis, large female, and #10~ a rare hybrid of these two > species, male from Bali. As you can see juvenile of C. cyanopleura > has several to more than ten fine spots on its dark side, and some > part is reddish. But tiny specimens are almost identical in > appearance. > I have been contributing to several sites in USA and Germany, but > where do you intend to post my pics ? It is exciting to hear and see > mine in the future. > >As for the Scott's fairy. I just want a female so the male will not > >loose his color as I have seen and heard of. Many people spend so > >much money on the Scott's fairy only to see it fade. Maybe you can > >help me to understand some of his behavior. > I understand your statement and many persons did as you wont to do but > some males will lose their vivid coloration with females of the same > species. I always keep males of different species together, some > several species, and no need to keep with females of the same > species. Surely males may display to mates but it is rather difficult > to see such display, for most males are ignorant of females. It is > important that you keep them as males in the tank. Eighty > percentages of my males showed their display colorations without any > female in my tanks until now. Males of many different species of > Cirrhilabrus will display (not attract) and prepare to fight. > They always think that they are males. > He will swim around > >(now in a quarantine tank before putting him in the large tank) with > >his head completely out of the water! WHY? (I suspect he is hungry) > It may be right. My Forcipiger flavissimus (a long-nosed butterfly) > often showed such behavior while seeking foods. > >I did finally find some live BRINE shrimp yesterday and I gut loaded > >them with Kent's ZooPlex and Cyclop-eeze. He ate like crazy, but he > >is NOT interested in the frozen brine. Maybe because it is > >"enriched" with things he doesn't like the smell of. I think maybe > >if I buy freeze dried brine and soak it in ZooPlex and something > >else (please make a suggestion) I can get him off the live stuff > >eventually. I have a friend in the next town that breeds live salt > >water shrimp, and I have to get some for my Scotts. > I am sorry; I do not know what kinds foods are sold in your country. > NOW if I want a > >female, is one enough or should I get 2 or 3? I have a midas blenny > >that seems to mimic the Scotts, and the Scotts will chase him in > >short bursts here and there. So maybe the midas will do the job of > >"pretend female"? Ha ha ha! > No need to get more than three females, but you should obtain another > male of scottorum. > If I do buy another "young" Scotts > >fairy wrasse, I would like to tell the place I got him from to see > >if they have any females. What would I tell them to look for? You > >didn't mention of the pictures you sent were all male.....I assume > >they were. Can you please send a female, or is the only difference > >the pectoral fin? If so, would a young Scotts change sex to fit the > >need at a young age? Should I buy another one and put them together > >to force a change on one of them or are they born male and female? > >I know it is a lot of questions, but the online store I get my fish > >from have a great sale! Only 39.99 From 69.99! > Yes, all my fish are males of C. scottorum. Although some males have > shorter pelvic fins. > Here are photos of C. scottorum, young male or large female (#8). > Its pelvic fins are still short but the coloration on side is almost > that of males. The length of pelvic fins is important to tell sex > but as shown in #9, it is a very large female, not male of C. > solorensis. In general the fins of females are shorter than those > in males. Females of the species are shown here (John Randall > photos (these cannot be posted without his permission). I have never > seen juveniles or young females; juveniles are scarcely encountered in > the wild. > >I really do like the Solor wrasse I have. He is so friendly and > >eats from my hand! He has NEVER made an attempt to jump out of the > >tank. I do not intend to spawn, like I said, just pair both wrasses > >with a female to make them happy. > Remember, all the Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus species have an > ability to jump out of the tank; no exception. One of my friends in > Hawaii will try them to spawn in a large tank. > >Is it at ALL possible for you to send a worldwide overnight package > >with females of the Solor or Scotts wrasse? If so, how much? Or do > >you know a supplier that would in Japan? > There are some shops in Tokyo and Osaka who will inform me which > species are imported and then I request them to transport some > individuals to my home in Miyazaki City, southern Japan. Scott's > fairy Wrasses are somewhat expensive fish, around US $ 70-120. I > know dealers in Osaka who could ship live fish top USA but I will ask > him soon; it will cost so much by air. > >There are many debates here in the States as to compatibility with > >wrasses. I would assume that like Tangs (Naso, hippo/regal, yellow, > >purple) as long as they are not the SAME genus they can be together. > > The first Scotts wrasse I received died in 3 days. He/she was not > >healthy. My Solor fairy wrasse didn't even seem to care the Scotts > >was in the tank. It was almost like he was happy to have a buddy. > >Are the Solor and Scotts wrasses compatible? > Yes, of course. > >At a LFS they have a Scotts (130.00!) with 2 different species of > >Halichoerus (I know i am spelling that wrong) and they seem fine. > >Being that the Scotts is a cirrhilabrus, will he only get along with > >Halichoerus? > The genus Halichoeres contains many species and they can be kept with > Cirrhilabrus in most cases. Halichoeres would be divided into > several genera from now, so all do not share the same behavior. > >OR...yes one more variable....If I just have a male of each (Scotts > >and Solor) will the Scotts keep his color based on competition as a > >male? > Yes, I think so. > OR would adding females cause each wrasse to "act out" and > >attack each other. I know I have many questions. If you want, > >after each of my questions, put in parenthesis a response (see what > >I did to your email to see what I mean) > There may be fight or no trouble; I have no idea which would be > right. Provide them with LESS hiding places at first. Introduce > them at once and before it I recommend you to hold them in a bucket > for 30 minutes with aeration. > >I really really appreciate you taking the time to help me out!!!!! > >I am looking forward to your response! > I do not think that all my replies are strictly right. I have been > keeping them for over 15 years and now I am writing a book on the > genera Cirrhilabrus, Conniella and Paracheilinus. > All The Best, Hiroyuki

New Wrasse Species...Or Typo? Cirrhilabrus bathiphilus vs. Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus 10/17/05 Hello there, <Hi there! Scott F. with you today!> Hope all is well, I believe I purchased a Cirrhilabrus bathiphilus today, not to be confused with Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus which I also purchased today. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much information regarding this particular fish. I've gone through a couple search engines and it appears the only info available is a brief description on your fairy wrasses page, this is also the only photograph I've been able to find as well. I've also checked fishbase.org with no luck. Is there any direction you can point me in to find some more information regarding this wrasse? I can't even find a common name for it. Thank you, Gabe Hernandez <Well, Gabe- you've got me kinda stumped on this one, too! I checked a lot of ichthyological sources on line, and it may be that there is simply no valid species called "C. bathiphilus". I noticed that the type specimens for C. bathyphilus were described in 2002 by B.H. Nagareda and John Randall, per the Bishop Museum (HI) website and fishbase.org. Curiously, our description and photo of what we are calling "C. bathiphilus" look just like the specimen of C. bathyphilus on fishbase.org, and also indicates that the species was described by Nagareda and Randall in 2002. Coincidence? I suspect not. I'm gonna take a hunch and think that we may have a typo on our site...Could be one in the same...Bob, what say you...? Regards, Scott F.>

Cirrhilabrus lubbocki/Lubbock's Wrasse - 10/12/05 Wanted you to see this wrasse that I have in QT. I am not sure what type of fairy wrasse this species might be. I am interested in learning about the species before entering into my established reef tank. Some interesting about the fish is when excited it get blue spots on its face and distinct blue banding on its body. Normally this fish expresses yellow dorsal, anal and pectoral fins tail fin is tapered , body is reddish with purple blotches. Any idea? Regards, Bob Dreggy, Kingwood, WV. <<Hi Bob... What you have there is Cirrhilabrus lubbocki, or the Lubbock's wrasse. It's a beautiful and delightful little "Fairy" wrasse who's coloring can be quite dramatic as you've witnessed, and will vary slightly between specimens. They feed primarily on zooplankton and will do quite well on mysis shrimp, chopped krill, frozen plankton, etc...mine will even eat flake and pelleted food. They are fairly hardy and peaceful, can be kept with other peaceful wrasses/fishes, and will attain a maximum size of about 3". Regards, EricR>>

New photos will be sent 9/4/05 Hi Bob, <Greetings Hiroyuki!> I am sorry for my long silence. <Doh itashi mashiite> Hers is a new comer to my home, Cirrhilabrus adornatus , male, 55mm from Sumatra. I call it the Adorned Fairy Wrasse. <Very nice> Now I have a new CD to you of marine fishes in JPEG, and another on Fairy and Flasher Wrasse, latest version with 1000 photos. I will send them tomorrow. All The Best, Hiroyuki Hiroyuki Tanaka, MD www.myclinic.ne.jp/jinguh <Thank you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Wrasse i.d from your site 7/14/05 Hi Bob - <Rebecca> IÂ¹m hoping you can clear up for me the identification of the fish in the very top photo on this page. IÂ¹m confused about Whether it is supposed to be attached to the post just above it... By Hiroyuki. I think heÂ¹s talking about a different fish. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/velvetwridfaqs.htm I have a fish identical to this one, and believe it to be C. bathyphilus; a different color morph of which is shown at the bottom of the same page. Are they both C. bathyphilus? Thanks for any help you can provide. best, Rebecca <Mmm, methinks this is a Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis pic my Tanaka-san. BobF>

Re: Wrasse i.d from your site 7/14/05 Hi Bob - <Rebecca> Thanks for your quick response. Sorry... I was mistaken I'm not asking about the photo at the very top of that page (which is C. rubrisquamis indeed). I'm curious about the photo just below Hiroyuki's post entitled "C. Adornatus." Sorry for the error. Thanks again, R <Uhh, sorry re the mix-up... from what I see on fishbase.org this is definitely not C. adornatus... but Google Images does show a male to be what you surmise: C. bathyphilus... Unfortunately... I know naught otherwise. Bob Fenner>

Re: Wrasse i.d from your site 7/14/05 O.K... Good enough. I did the same search and got the same results. That C. adornatus post on that page really confused me though! Best, r <Thank you for helping clear this up... to at least this point! "May Dr. Randall name a Velvet/Fairy Wrasse in your honour!". BobF>

Re: Wrasse i.d from your site 7/14/05 From your mouth to Dr. Randall's ears! Attached a shot of my fish, FYI. Thanks so much once again. r
<Ah ha! A beauty. Thank you, Bob Fenner>