Another wrasse id

[smoothdog]

My LFS had some 'misc fairy wrasses' that were unidentified from the supplier and sold that way. Through the magic that is the smart phone I'm pretty sure I identified them correctly on the spot but wanted to be sure. I strongly suspect that the 2 on the left are juvi blue margin wrasses and am pretty certain that the one on the right is a juvi/female pencil wrasse. Any wrasse experts out there concur?


Wrasses by ksw2005, on Flickr

 

[reefjunkie42]

looks like a pencil on the right, but the left is hard to tell. many females look like this, a pic with no stress coloration would be much more
helpful.

 

[smoothdog]

I'll try to get another pic tonight but the non-stressed colors are really pretty close aside from a couple of flecks of orange on the rear of the body. The dark stripe on the top of the eye, fine linear striping on top and lateral orange stripe across the head are persistent.

 

[smoothdog]

Got a couple more decent shots tonight. This is one camera shy fish! :spin2:


Wrasse.JPG by ksw2005, on Flickr


wrasse2.JPG by ksw2005, on Flickr

 

[teemee]

I purchased something almost identical (down to that black spot near the tail) a couple of weeks ago - I was told it was a juvenile pink margin wrasse.
Only time will tell!

 

[smoothdog]

Hmm, possible, but the red margin I used to have had the red margin markings at this size.. Here are some pics of the blue margin with the same spot.

http://www.hippocampus-bildarchiv.com/tier_11359_Cirrhilabruspylei.htm

 

[smoothdog]

Also note the yellow tail with blue speckles in it.

 

[reefjunkie42]

it honestly resembles my female johnsoni, condi, and lunate. if i had to pick 1, id go with condi, not rare. but it looks young. so it is hard to tell in faires when young unless you know point of collection. tht helps narrow it down.

 

[96gts]

Got a couple more decent shots tonight. This is one camera shy fish! :spin2:


Wrasse.JPG by ksw2005, on Flickr


wrasse2.JPG by ksw2005, on Flickr

I'm think this one is a female Cebu Pylei aka Sunset Fairy Wrasse.

 

[96gts]

Actually it might be female Pylei Fairy as you said.

 

[buddythelion]

+1 for pylei

 

[reefjunkie42]

It does look like. Pylei too

 

[reefjunkie42]

I'd say Vanuatu variant rho

 

[smoothdog]

In think you nailed it with Vanuatu.

http://srsvu.com/wrasses/pyles-fairy-wrasse-female-2/

 

[reefjunkie42]

yea i have 1 of them. nice fish. personally they are just about the only fairy that has never been a problem. ever.

 

[nonimmigrant]

I'm think this one is a female Cebu Pylei aka Sunset Fairy Wrasse.

+1. The black spot on the tail indicates it's a female, but not Cebu as it's missing the black tail margin.

The longer one is certainly a pencil female.