Please ID (flasher?) wrasse

[Baltimore Bryan]

I got a male carpenter flasher wrasse and was looking for a female so that he would display the flashing behavior more. In the LFS I saw a wrasse labeled as a carpenter flasher wrasse, and the guy there said that's what it was, but it definitely looked different. I read that female carpenter wrasses are pink with pale/ white bellies, so this fit the description, but it was larger than expected. I assumed it may have been a full grown female and the male I got was still a young male so that may account for the similar size. The male carpenter wrasse flashes at this one, but this one also occasionally raises its fins (they are smaller and all yellow). Haven't seen any real aggression, which is good.
Here are some pics:
This shows the true colors but is blurry since I didn't use a flash

This shows a clearer shot but the fish is not this dark. The male carpenters wrasse is also in this shot. The stripes on the head in this picture are just faintly visible without the flash, and there are no stripes down the body like on the male.

The only thing I found was the whip fin fairy wrasse, Cirrhilabrus filamentosus, which has some pictures that look similar to my new wrasse.

So can anyone tell me:
1) Is it male or female?
2) Is it a flasher wrasse, and if so, carpenters or another species?
3) If not, will there be a problem keeping it with the carpenter male?

Thanks,
Bryan

 

[jaa1456]

I was going to say whip fin fairy wrasse. They are very aggressive and I would pass on it.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Its definitely a male Cirrhilabrus filamentosus, you can tell its a male because it has developed its dorsal filament. They generally do not play well with other fairy wrasses and flashers.

 

[Baltimore Bryan]

Not what I was hoping to hear, but thanks for the replies.
Not doubting you, but I would like to find out more about them since I see conflicting info (for example, LiveAquaria and BlueZoo say they are peaceful, but I've found some posters here say they are aggressive and some are fine).
I'm assuming you've both kept them before, so were they aggressive to all fish in the tank or only certain types, like just other fairy wrasses? Was it so bad you had to take them out?
If it doesn't work out I have a 30 gallon I could put him in with clownfish and a pygmy angel, I doubt they would stress them too much. It would be great if he is peaceful enough to stay with the carpenters wrasse though, so I would love to hear your and anyone else's experience with them.
Bryan

 

[d-man]

Whip fin.
Jerks!!!

 

[snorvich]

Its definitely a male Cirrhilabrus filamentosus, you can tell its a male because it has developed its dorsal filament. They generally do not play well with other fairy wrasses and flashers.

My vote as well.

 

[jaa1456]

I still have mine but it was relocated to my frag tank for time being until someone takes it off my hands. It went after my other wrasses, Bartletts anthias, bornibus anthias and my dwarf angels. Pretty much anything around its size and smaller. I had to get 4 different fish out of my overflows when the whip fin was in there, since I removed it a few months ago I haven't had one fish jump over. The whip fin was in for maybe 3 months.

 

[Baltimore Bryan]

Thanks for the help guys, I'll see if I can take him back to the store today. I and the store employees were definitely wrong about it being a female flasher wrasse, so can anyone give advice about getting a female carpenter flasher wrasse? Are they common or hard to find in stores, do you have any pictures to distinguish them from males, etc.? If I can't find a female, I read you can keep two different flasher wrasse males of different species together so that they might flash and there shouldn't be any aggression. If I went this route with something like a McCosker's flasher wrasse male then, can someone confirm I shouldn't have any issues with my existing carpenter male?
Thanks again,
Bryan

 

[snorvich]

females are less often brought into LFS because the males are more colorful. LiveAquaria often has females.

 

[Marshall O]

You likely won't find a female Carpenter. And you should know that more often then not females will turn make even if there is a male of the same species present. So you are better off just getting a Flasher from another species IMO.