Pintail Earlie's Wrasse!

[WayneL333]

I'm so stoked!!! I just purchased a Pintail Earlie's Wrasse! I've never seen a pintail offered for sale before. Just the regular rounded tail Earlie's. I've only see the pintails in pictures online.

Here's the vendor picture:




I wouldn't say this one is a supermale, but it's certainly on its way. The supermale have a super long streamed pintail. I'll hopefully have mine long enough to see the tail develop that way.

Anyway, I'll hopefully receive him on Tuesday. More pics and video to come.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

All terminal phase males have the pintail or will start to get one.

 

[WayneL333]

All terminal phase males have the pintail or will start to get one.

I don't think that is true. At least with mine it's not. I've had my current trio for over 3 years. My male is close to 6". It's never developed a pintail. I'd be surprised to see if anyone on this forum can post a pic of a pintail Earlie that they've owned.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Great find. Will he be going in the same tank with your current Earlie trio?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Are the earlei's the only fairy wrasses in the tank? If so then it's likely that your current large male is not terminal. Remember, terminal phase is not a function of age or size, but rather a function of social situations. And while most fairy wrasses transition into males, much fewer transition into terminal males.

Terminal males are much rarer than regular males. Terminal male earlei's develop the lanceolate tail. If it doesn't have the lanceolate tail it can still be a male, just not terminal. This was collected in the same region as the roundtails, so not a separate population or variant.

 

[WayneL333]

Are the earlei's the only fairy wrasses in the tank? If so then it's likely that your current large male is not terminal. Remember, terminal phase is not a function of age or size, but rather a function of social situations. And while most fairy wrasses transition into males, much fewer transition into terminal males.

Terminal males are much rarer than regular males. Terminal male earlei's develop the lanceolate tail. If it doesn't have the lanceolate tail it can still be a male, just not terminal. This was collected in the same region as the roundtails, so not a separate population or variant.

I see what you are saying TJ, but of the dozens of Earlie's I've seen in person, I've never seen a lanced tail variant. On the flip side, I've seen plenty of male c. Roseafascia that have exhibited a pintail.

Great find. Will he be going in the same tank with your current Earlie trio?

Most likely, but I'll probably have to catch the existing dominant male so the new one can establish itself in the tank.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I see what you are saying TJ, but of the dozens of Earlie's I've seen in person, I've never seen a lanced tail variant. On the flip side, I've seen plenty of male c. Roseafascia that have exhibited a pintail.
.

Think back to when roseafascia were first coming in. It started with small females, then larger females and males that still didn't develop the lanceolate tail. Then, with greater infrequency, males with the lanceolate tail came in. Earlei's also first had small females being brought in, then larger females. Only relatively recently are males being regularly collected, so it would make sense that a terminal male woul d finally be collected. I would be willing to wager we will start to see them trickle in.

With the size and attitude of roseafascia they will be more likely to develop into a terminal male in captivity, because it will usually 'win' against other species of fairy wrasses. While earlei's are no slouch in an aquarium, they are also not nearly as pugnacious as roseafascia.

Rosefascia have a wider geographic range than earlei, and a significantly greater number of collectors, so that makes it more likely a terminal male will be collected.

 

[WayneL333]

I've seen Earlie's in the aquarium trade as long if not longer than Roseafascia's and I've seen lancedtail males almost from the beggining. Never once have I seen a lanced tail variant of an Earlie available for sale and I would argue that large males Earlies were being sold from the beginning. I've owned a few through the years.

I agree Rosiafascia are more prevalent and easier to collect, hence the cheaper price tag, but I have yet to see a picture of a lanced tail Earlie that someone owns in their home tank (I would love to see one too!).

 

[d-man]

I almost jumped on that yesterday wayne. But didn't. Now I'm glad I didnt, cuz as much as I would give him a nice home, yours is undoubtedly way better. He'll have a great life and home with you.
If one of you other ones doesn't work out, let me know, my 860g is screaming to have one back in it

 

[WayneL333]

I almost jumped on that yesterday wayne. But didn't. Now I'm glad I didnt, cuz as much as I would give him a nice home, yours is undoubtedly way better. He'll have a great life and home with you.
If one of you other ones doesn't work out, let me know, my 860g is screaming to have one back in it

Thanks bud but your 860 is a mansion compared to mine! It was hard for me to pass it up. They were asking a premium price, but I couldn't pass it up. Like I said before, I've never seen a lanced tail Earlie's offered for sale before. After seeing a picture of one on a reef blog, I knew had to have one. My dream is to get a supermale c. Roseafascia and even a c. Lanceolatus to complete the trio set.


I'm hoping they'll keep the peace but you'll be the first to know. I think as long as I take the dominant wrasse out long enough to settle the new one, I should be fine. I've done it many a times before with other territorial wrasses. Actually, I've never experienced any territorial issues with my Earlie's. But my tank is getting a bit crowded with wrasses now and I do see it flash a lot more often. Time will tell. It'll be a while though before this new one gets in my tank though...he's gotta go through qt and an observation period first.

 

[Baldguy]

Copied from an RB article ...

Cirrhilabrus earlei is a marvelous species, with a ground color varying between light pink to deep magenta. The fish is decorated in a series of transverse indigo lines, a unique trait that is rarely seen in Cirrhilabrus. A deeper mangosteen stripe runs along the dorsal ridge, passing the eye and connecting to the eye stripe. The cheek region behind the operculum is amber, and the dorsal, pelvic and anal fins are translucent purple in immature males.

Matured males develop a more orangey tone to the median fins, and the rays are contrasted in deep purple. Cirrhilabrus earlei is a large species, attaining lengths rivaling that of Cirrhilabrus lanceolatus. Terminal males develop a lanceolate caudal fin, which is magenta shot and decorated in the characteristic diagonal blue lines.


I too have never seen the lanceolatus tail on a Earlei. Thinking TJ knows what he's talking about.

 

[WayneL333]

Copied from an RB article ...

Cirrhilabrus earlei is a marvelous species, with a ground color varying between light pink to deep magenta. The fish is decorated in a series of transverse indigo lines, a unique trait that is rarely seen in Cirrhilabrus. A deeper mangosteen stripe runs along the dorsal ridge, passing the eye and connecting to the eye stripe. The cheek region behind the operculum is amber, and the dorsal, pelvic and anal fins are translucent purple in immature males.

Matured males develop a more orangey tone to the median fins, and the rays are contrasted in deep purple. Cirrhilabrus earlei is a large species, attaining lengths rivaling that of Cirrhilabrus lanceolatus. Terminal males develop a lanceolate caudal fin, which is magenta shot and decorated in the characteristic diagonal blue lines.


I too have never seen the lanceolatus tail on a Earlei. Thinking TJ knows what he's talking about.

I'm by far not a fish expert so I'm not trying to refute that. But I find it quite odd that this is the first and only lanced tail earlie I ever seen for sale for as long as I remember Earlie's being available in the aquarium trade. In fact, I've seen more terminal c. Lanceolatus(which arguably is much rarer in the hobby than an Earlie) for sale than a pintail Earlie.

I also find it quite odd how I've never seen any of my current or previous earlie's that I've owned for years ever develop anything near a pintail. While I have reared several juvenile c. Wrasses that have gone terminal.

In any event, I'm quite happy to be getting this one. I've now have to only collect a terminal male c. rosiafacsia and c. Lanceolatus to complete my trifecta!

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Beautiful and rare fish no doubt!

I do have a question for you wrasse experts about "terminal" phase males.

What causes it and how are the terminal phase males different from say a normal mature male? One more question is can you provide a good link so I can learn more. I've got a beautiful male McCosker's wrasse and he's the only wrasse in my current 40b. He flashes a lot and his coloring is excellent. Just want to learn more about this terminal phase thing. Never know I might just do an all fairy or flasher wrasse tank in the future

 

[eatbreakfast]

While both earlei and lanceolatus are deep water fish, earlei is a bit deeper. Lanceolatus is found at 40m depth, earlei begins at 50, and Greene's specimen was collected at 80m. The dominant, terminal, males of earlei are significantly deeper than their counterparts of lanceolatus and most other fairy wrasses. If the divers are going just a little deeper than they normally do for collection or a terminal male is driven shallower by competitors, it would explain it's collection.

Their are currently more sources bringing earleis in than ever. Prior to about a year/year and a half ago there were only a couple suppliers that would bring them in with any regularity, then one of them got out of the business. Now there are at least double the amount bringing them in on a routine basis.

Beautiful and rare fish no doubt!

I do have a question for you wrasse experts about "terminal" phase males.

What causes it and how are the terminal phase males different from say a normal mature male? One more question is can you provide a good link so I can learn more. I've got a beautiful male McCosker's wrasse and he's the only wrasse in my current 40b. He flashes a lot and his coloring is excellent. Just want to learn more about this terminal phase thing. Never know I might just do an all fairy or flasher wrasse tank in the future

From Wikipedia on Sequential Hermaphroditism:... In wrasses, the larger of the two fish is the male, while the smaller is the female. In most cases, females and immature have a uniform color while the male has the terminal bicolored phase.[11] Large males hold territories and try to pair spawn while small to mid-size initial-phase males live with females and group spawn.[12] In other words, both the initial and terminal phase males can breed; they differ however in the way they do it.

More from the same article:...Blue-headed wrasse begin life as males or females, but females can change sex and function as males. Young females and males start with a distinct coloration known as the "Initial Phase" before progressing into the "Terminal Phase" coloration, which has a change in intensity of color, stripes, and bars. Initial Phase males have larger testes than larger, terminal phase males, which enables the initial phase males to produce a large amount of sperm. This strategy is able to compete with that of the larger male, who is able to guard its own harem.

Terminal phase is just part of the sequence of development, it is the last stage, a fish cannot develop any more beyond that point. It is also based on social situations, so size frequently isn't a factor. And in aquaria, in a tank with a number of male fairy wrasses, only a couple, the most dominant within the group will be terminal. The other males may have nice color and be large, but if they aren't at the very top of the hierarchy they will not be terminal phase. However, the social situations can be fluid and if the dynamics change, so to can the hierarchy, and with that also which fish can reach terminal phase.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Thank you very much TJ, that is the answer I was looking for! :thumbsup:

 

[CoralsAddiction]

This is an interesting discussion. I'd be cool to see another one of these but so far it looks like Wayne is the only one to have it. Worth the premium.

 

[btb72]

I've always heard terminal males don't live as long. Is this true? And if so what is expectant life span once terminal?

 

[evolved]

This is an interesting discussion. I'd be cool to see another one of these but so far it looks like Wayne is the only one to have it. Worth the premium.

They have been documented in nature on numerous occasions. In the trade, not so much.

I've always heard terminal males don't live as long. Is this true? And if so what is expectant life span once terminal?

It's true a terminal male is older. And because there's no way to gauge how old, all that can be said is its life in captivity will be shorter.

 

[evolved]

I'll keep growing mine and get the elongated caudal in a few years.

Then this discussion can be put to bed.

 

[brett559]

How much?