Cirrhilabrus ID   1/14/06
Hi,
<Hi>
    Again I would like to express my appreciation for this great site.  I recently found a wrasse on an website named a "black hat wrasse".  I was wondering what this wrasse scientific name is because I could not even find a similar looking on fishbase?
<Mmm, can't find it in Kuiter/TMC, or in my Tanaka pix of the genus either... looks like one of several as-yet undescribed species to me... or a variant (there are many)>
I have attached the link to the page on the website that I found it on.
http://marineaquatics.net/html/wrasse_fish_2.html
  Any help would be greatly appreciate.  Also, are there any specific times when your odds of finding any of these fish get any better?...
Blueline angelfish-Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis.
MALE Hawaiian flame wrasse-Cirrhilabrus jordani
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse-Cirrhilabrus lineatus
-  Dave
<Mmm, these are "catch as catch can" species... are collected from time to time, but not on a regular basis by anyone... Jordan's Wrasse is never in great numbers, the Angel isn't in great demand... You might try Marine Center (.com). Bob Fenner>
 

Fairy Wrasse
Hi,
<Good Morning> 
I have a labouti fairy wrasse which I believe its male. Can you please tell me what a female looks like? I asked the LFS and they told me the males have the S shaped lines on the side and have more blue on them. Do you know where I can see a pic of a male and female? 
<Here is a link on fairy wrasses. There is a pic of a male there, might want to do a Google search and look for a female pic.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/cirrhilabrus/   James (Salty Dog)>

- Wrasse Id -
Good day,  Can you tell me what is the minimum tank size for a ruby headed wrasse? <Hmm... could this be Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura... that's what liveaquaria.com lists it as...> Also, are these the same as the blue sided wrasse? <Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura is the blue sided wrasse... as listed in fishbase.org, I would go with this common name. Maximum size is roughly 6" (15cm), I'd keep in 100g plus.> Thank you for your help.
<Cheers, J -- >

Lubbock's fairy wrasse
Hi Bob and crew,,,,,
After a long and tiring night of researching on the net for the specific name
of my mystery fairy wrasse, I have concluded with 95% certainty that it is a
Lubbock's.
Not too shabby for an 8 dollar fish.
<Must have been mis-marked>
As for my following questions, you would most likely have to refer to this
website's pictures as I do not have a digital camera....this is as close as I
could get...
<A HREF="http://fins.actwin.com/species/index.php?t=9&i=412">http://fins.actwin.com/species/index.php?t=9&i=412 >
My wrasse is pretty much a cross between the two wrasses pictured on the
page....I've never seen two males of the same species look so different!
<Take a look on fishbase.org re the males of species of wrasses in this genus... click on the photo shown for others on the next "page". Some are very different.>
Question 1 ) What are those black markings on the fish. It look's like
they've been drawn on my a sharpie marker. They are quite pronounced on my wrasse
too. I've notice that pictures of other Lubbock's exhibit similar markings but
perhaps more spread out and not as dark. Are they here to stay, or do they fade
with age? Also, is this type of marking restricted to the Lubbock's fairy
wrasse?
<Mmm, no. Please see here: http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.cfm?ID=13041
Not all Lubbock's show these dark markings>
Question 2 ) Some of the pictures of Lubbock's shows quite a bit of bright
coloration. Mine is a bit more drab but still show similar coloration. Does this
mean that it is a female? Or perhaps stress and fright makes for a drabber
wrasse, a trait common in most wrasse....
<Mmm, not likely a female... maybe not a "full blown" male either... but can/do change with environmental, nutritional... developmental influences>
and finally, is there anything I can do
to intensify it's colors...short of getting it a mate....or will they pretty
much stay the same coloration regardless of effort.
<All sorts of things you can do... feed foods with carotenoid content, HUFA's, vitamins... provide a large system (hundreds of gallons) with a few females of the species...>
Thanks for all your help!
Sincerely,
jimmy
<Good thinking, investigating here. Bob Fenner>

Unidentified  Cirrhilabrus
I don't know what this wrasse is, but I've kept one before.  It is one of the larger ones, growing to be roughly 5 inches in length.  The base color of this fish is a drab olive green.  There is a black bar running horizontally across the length of the body that's on top of an orange horizontal bar.  The pelvic fins are elongate and pointed.  It's belly is a light powder blue, and has a dull red streak across it's eyes.  However, the feature that stands out the most despite it's drab coloration is its remarkable super bright metallic blue caudal fin, with flecks of gold.  I have seen it only one other time previous to today.  I suspect it may be a male Katherine's Fairy Wrasse, (Cirrhilabrus katherinae), or an Orange Bar Fairy Wrasse, (Cirrhilabrus earlei).  So far on the net, I haven't seen a picture of Cirrhilabrus earlei so I wouldn't know for sure.  Is this description adequate for identification?
Philip
S. El Monte  
<Not for me... please see WWM here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/cirrhilabrus/index.htm
or Fishbase.org under the genus, or
Scott Michael's Reef Fishes, v.1,
Or Rudie Kuiter's latest on Velvet, Fairy Wrasses by TMC.
It may be that you have an as-yet unidentified Cirrhilabrus (there are several on the market). Bob Fenner>

Wrasse id
Hi Bob. Thanks for the quick response to my last question (and the humorous
headline on the new FAQ's page!)
<Ah, always wondering if someone's keeping an eye on me...>
This is an easy one, for now. I'd been wanting to add a fairy wrasse of
some kind, to be the last fish addition to my system. I was considering the
fine spotted fairy wrasse and the solar wrasse. I went to my LFS this
weekend--they had a solar wrasse, but it was very expensive and the
coloration was not good. However, they had another wrasse that was
absolutely beautiful. It looked like a fairy wrasse of some kind. The
problem was, neither the LFS or their supplier could identify it. Since it
was a "mystery fish" they gave it to me for about half of what they would
ordinarily charge for a nice fairy wrasse. (The fish is doing great--he
started feeding an hour or so after introduction to the tank, on flake and
brine shrimp, and has made a "house" in the sand under a piece of LR.)
Since I bought this fish, I have searched all my "fish books," as well as
the reference book at the LFS. I've also searched the WWM site, and every
'net site that I can think of, without success. It's actually becoming a
"mission" for me. As a last resort, I'll take a picture and see if you can
identify it, or give you a detailed description--but for now, I'm having fun
trying to find it myself.
<There are quite a few Fairy's... have you waded through the FishBase.org site yet? Some pix missing there as well...  and Dr. Randall has told me (he has helped describe many of these and other fishes) that there are a few more to be  described...>
My question is, where can I find a good comprehensive online library of
marine fishes to browse through? (I've already checked every site listed
under "Other Indices" on the WWM site, as well as most of the links under
the "Hobbyist Sites." I've also checked many fish e-tailer sites, to no
avail.) Is coralrealm.com a good resource worth investing in (for this, as
well as other things)? Can you recommend any other resources?
<Please tell me if YOU find any... Friends are helping me put up WWM2 with some 25k images...  for sale ala Corbis.com... perhaps some relief there... but not for a few months. Bob Fenner>
--Sherlock
James A. Deets

Re: Wrasse Mystery
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=
Cirrhilabrus&speciesname=cyanopleura
This link is to a fish that is VERY similar. The coloration on the sides and fins is identical. My fish also has the light underside as does this one. However, in the "mystery fish," the head is pink, instead of blue like this one.  And the eyes are red--very striking. It's got to be the same genus as this one, however, I still haven't found the species. (There were almost 800 wrasses on FishBase.org, and I looked at anything that it could possibly be--this is as close as I've come so far. . .)
OK--so I'm letting the cat out of the bag--getting a little help--but it might turn into a joint "mission" if this guy isn't to be found anywhere. One more day of searching, then I'll send a pic!
Thanks!
<Ah, you're getting closer... Bob Fenner>

Ever heard of Cirrhilabrus magnificum
I have a pair of Scott's Fairy wrasses and love the genus. A number of dealers offer a "magnificent" fairy wrasse that they identify as Cirrhilabrus magnificum, but I can find no info on that species. ever heard of it? 
(Yes, but not scientifically... you can check out all the valid species of Velvet Wrasses, Cirrhilabrus on www.fishbase.org and my coverage of the genus on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com... there are a few as yet undescribed-scientifically species sold in the trade from time to time...)
Also can you recommend a second pair (male/female) of fairy wrasses for a 180 live rock and fish tank? I love the flame (jordani) wrasse, but my tank temp is 82-84, and I have been warned that this may be excessive for a Hawaiian endemic.
(Good point... do check the WWM site for more tropical members... Bob Fenner)
Thanks as always.

New Cirrhilabrus sp.
It was taken by my Aust supplier who actually caught these 5 specimens. I
knew that you of all people would appreciate it. He offered it to me for $250
FOB AUS!!! I chickened out and passed on
it....................................
<Rob... the Australian dollar is trading at about two to one... I would have taken a dozen or so at this price! Bob Fenner>

Re: New Cirrhilabrus sp.
Not Aust $'s - US!!
<Yikes! Getting pricey net landed cost! Still, if this were Japan... Bob F>

Latin pronunciation
Cirrhilabrus luteovittatus
<Sear like in searing a steak, hi as in "ha", la as in la dee dah, brus as in brusque, lu as in lewd and lascivious, te as in tea for two, oh as in "oh" you caught me, vit as in the letter "v" and quit, ta as in "tah dah", tus as in your fave tus'kfish. B>
How is it pronounced?
Cheers,
J --