Fairy Wrasse ID no pics

[Rybren]

A local LFS had a wrasse come in last night labeled as a Lubbock's. This one looks nothing like the Lubbocks that I've seen and has no resemblance at all to the one in my tank.

This fish had no yellow on it at all. The upper portion of the body was a dark pink and the lower half was a very light, almost irridescent pink. About a quarter of the way down from the top of the body there was a dark, almost black, wide line that ran from around the gill to end of the dorsal fin. Below this dark line was an irridescent line that looked like mother of pearl. It ran parallel to the dark line and was the same length. There was another dark line that started just after the end of the other lines and was about mid-way between the other two lines. It ended at the beginning of the tail. There was no other colours in the fish.

I almost bought the fish, but wanted to find out what it was first. The LFS owner and I searched his reference books and the net, but couldn't come up with a single image that was even close.

Any ideas?

 

[Reefing Newbie]

Anything like the fish here? I don't know why, but I thought Laboutei fairy.

 

[Rybren]

Anything like the fish here? I don't know why, but I thought Laboutei fairy.

Thanks, but no, it was nothing like a Laboutei.

I just found a picture that was labeled as a Lubbock's that is very similar to the one at the LFS, except that the one in this picture doesn't have the irridescent line and the lower portion of the body is darker. Maybe the fish really is a Lubbock's after all.

 

[reefjunkie42]

that is a female^^

 

[reefjunkie42]

i believe the line signifies that

 

[Rybren]

Thanks. You learn something new every day. I guess that all I've ever seen before are males.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

That is fairly common with fairy and flasher wrasses. Usually the females aren't as colorful, therefore not as easily sold as the males.

 

[SDguy]

Lubbocks from different regions look different. It's not a female/male thing.

http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.php?ID=13041

 

[sponger0]

Thanks. You learn something new every day. I guess that all I've ever seen before are males.

Males are alot more common than females. Most that you will see in store are going to wind up being males....or thats my experience

 

[Rybren]

Thanks Peter. That link had some pictures that were very close,

 

[SDguy]

No problem. They also change color when they are flashing, excited, or stressed.