Please help to identify this fish

[Seafan]

I took a picture of this fish at a public aquarium, it looks like a wrasse, but I can't find a match in Scott Michael's book. Does anyone know what species this is?

thanks.

 

[myerst2]

Novaculichthys taeniourus. (Dragon Wrasse). Gets big and aggressive. http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=5610

 

[snorvich]

Psychedelic Wrasse (Anampses chrysocephalus) which is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Up to about 7 inches. Female has red on the caudal fin while males have an orange head with blue markings.

 

[snorvich]

Actually, Tim is correct. Also called a rockmover wrasse. I should stick with Fairy and Flasher wrasses!!

 

[myerst2]

Wow I thought for sure I was wrong when I read your first post. Steve you feeling Okay?! A bad Wrasse ID? T

 

[snorvich]

I ONLY know fairy and flasher wrasses. My memory went south on that one which I have seen many times diving. You are better on most of the rare fish than I. Those I know from diving e.g. all Rhinopias species, as well as fairy and flasher wrasses, I usually get right. Your avatar, for example, I remember researching when Richard was selling them and realized I could not have one because of its aggressive nature.

 

[Seafan]

Thanks for the quick reply. the link to fishbase has a few other pictures, I see this fish has two very different looks. So is the picture I have what an adult looks like? Is the difference male/female or adult/juvenille?

 

[myerst2]

The juvinile looks completely different and very attractive with the long flowing fins. They are usually only sold at LFS's as juvi's because they are so attractive, and then they lose the looks and become big destructive menaces. T

 

[mustang2021]

very cool fish as long as it goes into a fish only they are meneses in a reef and make a huge mess of the sand and rock but extremely cool fish to watch they have a lot of personality and are extremely hardy as well