African flasher wrasse ID - McCoskeri...male/female?

[Vaenge]

Hi ReefCentral

I just picked up two African flashers yesterday - a beautiful attenuatus and what I hoped could be a female attenuatus...

However, when I got them home and observed them closely, I figured out that the female just might be a juvenile male McCoskeri...but to be sure I need your expertise.

It has the tiniest filament on its dorsal fin, which leads me to think it is a male...

Look at the pictures and let me know what you think!

Thanks!

 

[Yogre]

The first two pics do look a lot like my juvie McCoskeri. Might be a Carpenteri as well? I'm hard pressed to tell the species apart.

 

[Vaenge]

I'm pretty sure the wrasse was imported from Kenya, which would rule out the Carpenteri... However there was also a shipment from Bali in the tanks, so if any mixing had occured, ID could be more difficult....any opinions on that?

Question is whether the tiny filament implies that it is becoming a male?

 

[LukFox]

LA listed this trio of McCoskeri as two females and a male, and the females have small filaments. http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/detailed_image.cfm?ddID=83828 From this I assume small filaments could mean female or changing male. You can tell that the colors in the fins differ greatly between the male and females, though, so that is also something to observe in your fish.

 

[wrasseguy2]

the first two are for sure mccoskeri you can tell by the red anal fin and single filament on the dorsal and looks like a young female changing into a male..the last two pics are of a young attenuatus..it is satrting to get the diamond shape on the cadual fin

 

[Vaenge]

Just what I thought

The attenuatus does have a full diamond shaped tail, which was what I tried to take a picture of...they are hard to catch

Thanks a lot!!

 

[wrasseguy2]

no prob..i really like both of the flashrs you got..seen a more attenuatus coming through the past few weeks