Fairy wrasse Photo Library

[bronco7777]

Okay, there have been several questions regarding fairy wrasses here lately. Without a doubt this is the ideal fish for a reef and it is gaining in popularity.

I've been keeping fairy wrasses for several years now almost exclusively. So with the huge swell in interest I thought I'd put together a photo library to help other
reef fans identify all the different varieties that are out there.

There is no specific order for listing these fish and it will be a image intense thread.

So here we go, I hope this is helpful.

[bronco7777]

Yellowfin Fairy Wrasse
Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis
Comes From: Philippines / Indonesia / Flores
Fairy Size Category: Small (Maximum 3.5" as adult)
Colors: Male is Hot pink with white stripes and yellow dorsal. Females is all pink

[IMG]http://[/IMG]

[bronco7777]

Sorry, trying to get the hang of posting on threads.[IMG]http://[/IMG]

[bronco7777]

[bronco7777]

Rhomboid Fairy - aka (Diamond Tail Fairy or Golden Fairy)
cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis
Comes From: Marshall Islands
Fairy Size Category: Large (4.7" as adult)
Colors: Males-Yellow Body with blue lavender face. Females a very pale version of the male.
Availability in the trade: Rare but becoming more available each year (Average price: $175 - $300)
[IMG]reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/41565Rhomboid.JPG [/IMG]

[bronco7777]

[bronco7777]

Pyle's Fairy Wrasse - aka (Blue Margin Fairy)
cirrhilabrus pylei
Comes from: Papua New Guinea / Bali
Fairy Size Category: Medium (3.9" as adult)
Colors: Males are yellow with a blue trimmed tail and a red dorsal fin. Ventral fins are also some of the longest for a fairy. Females are all pink.
Availability: Rare

[bronco7777]

Man, I finally got this right....picture and words on same post :-)

[FishF00d]

lol. . . Like the idea. What about some type of compatability between them.

[bronco7777]

Labout's Fairy Wrasse
cirrhilabrus laboutei
Comes From: Great Barrier Reef & New Caledonia
Fairy Size Category: Medium to Large (4.7" as adult)
Colors: Male and Female are the same - White underside with several stripes in pink, orange, yellow, purple, and blue /green trim.
Availability in the trade: Occasional

[bronco7777]

FishFood,

All fairy wrasses are compatible with each other as long as you don't place a Supermale of a species with a Supermale from the same species.

Otherwise outside enemies include: Pseudochromis (except orchids), sixline wrasses, Some Anthias, Carpet anenome's (Notorious wrasse catchers at night).

[FishF00d]

Ok, Thanks for the info... and i always thought it was my purple tang who beat my scotts fairy wrasse to hell. I didn't know the six line was the problem.

[bronco7777]

Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse
cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus
Comes From: Southern Japan / Indonesia / Ryukyu Islands
Fairy Size Category: Large (5.5" as adult)
Colors: Males are a dark cranberry color with several colorful dots, red trim on dorsal and end of tail. Females are a very pale version of male....light pink cranberry.
Availability in the trade: Occasional
[/IMG]

[bronco7777]

Flame Fairy Wrasse
cirrhilabrus jordani
Comes from: Hawaii
Fairy Size Category: Medium (3.9" as adult)
Colors: Males a deep red-orange with some yellow on its underside. Females are similar in colors (This fish does not fade in captivity as other fairy wrasses do)
Availability: Occasional to sometimes common

[/IMG] [/IMG]

[bronco7777]

Scott's Fairy Wrasse
cirrhilabrus scottorum
Comes From: Austrailia - Great Barrier Reef / Cook Islands
Fairy Size Category: Large (5.1" as adult)
Colors: Colors vary by area where they live. Cook Islands -Male Scott's are dark blue with a large hot pink spot in the center of their body. They also have some yellow and green trim. Females are a dark midnight blue without the pink spot. Scott's from the Holmes Reef area of Austrailia are a bright Blue-green almost turqouise body color with bright orange yellow trim and a red tail.
Availability: Cook islands - Fairy common / Holmes Reef - A little harder to find.
Pictured below is a Scott's from Holmes Reef

[/IMG]

[fussoverthis]

Bronco,
AWESOME! I love this! Thanks for sharing the beautiful shots!

Melissa

[bronco7777]

Exquisite Fairy Wrasse
cirrhilabrus exquisitus
Comes From: Africa / Indian Ocean / Sumatra
Fairy Size Category: Large (4.7" as adult)
Colors: There are two types of exquisite, as their coloration varies by area. There is the Regular exquiste and the pacific
Regular exquiste: As pictured below has a bright red face and green body with some white highlights. Females-drab green
Pacific exquiste: Males lack the red face but rather have a yellow throat and red trim all around the fins. Body is still green
Availability: Common

reefcentral.com/gallery/data/526/41565Exquisite_full_body.JPG

[bronco7777]

Melissa,

No problem. By the way I'll have the tank ready soon. I'll have you over.

[bronco7777]

Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
cirrhilabrus lineatus
Comes from: Austrailia - Great Barrier Reef / Coral Sea
Fairy Size Category: Large (4.7" as adult)
Colors: Almost undescribeable, but here goes: Deep cranberry-lavender with a hint of orange. Yellow fins with a red tail. Blue-purple dots and lines all over the body. Females a very pale version of the male....a light pink-lavender body.
Availability: Occasional

[bronco7777]

Goldbar Fairy Wrasse - aka (Yellow bar or Yellow band fairy)
cirrhilabrus luteovittatus
Comes from: Micronesia
Fairy Size Category: Large (4.7" as adult)
Colors: Deep purple body with a lavender belly and the unmistakeable yellow stripe down the side. Females about the same. This fish is a VERY close relative to the Solar Fairy.
Availability: Occasional

[bronco7777]

Okay, its late...I'll enter some more tomorrow

Later

[FishF00d]

So are you taking some of this info out of that book you mentioned, Fairy and Rainbow Wrasses? How much more in depth does that book go? I was thinking of getting it but we see to have our own real life book in you.

[bronco7777]

FishFOOd,

Some info comes from the book I mentioned. For example, the locations of the world where each of these fish are collected. Some of the other info comes from special magazines I've collected through the years. The magazines have provided the sizes I list. Finally the balance of the info is from personal experience and the pictures I'm posting are all mine.

[FishF00d]

so its time for you to write your own book...

Good Job. Keep them comming. Your pictures look great. They are much more realistic to me then some around the web.

[Chris777]

Bronco7777

Do all the rest that you listed lose there color without a female/ or in captivity? My favorite i still have to say is the Labout's Fairy Wrasse i have found it at 2 places but dont have the money to buy one. :-(