Why female flasher wrasses are rarely available?

[Tripod1404]

I have been trying to find a female blue flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus cyaneus) for years. I have seen large males and small males but never a female. There are even very few pictures of a female blue flasher wrasse or any female flasher wrasse for that mattter. Why is this?

Due to their social structure, there should be a lot more females in nature than males. Are females not collected or all the females quickly collected turn into males or something?

 

[nereefpat]

Live Aquaria currently has juvenile/female available for:

hooded - C. bathyphilus
whipfin - C. filamentosus
red velvet - C. rubrisquamis
Rhomboid - C. rhomboidalis
Red fin - C. rubripinnis

I'm not sure on the blue flasher specifically. Along with what you said, I wonder if they are harder to catch or harder to identify to the species level when juveniles.

 

[Tripod1404]

Live Aquaria currently has juvenile/female available for:

hooded - C. bathyphilus
whipfin - C. filamentosus
red velvet - C. rubrisquamis
Rhomboid - C. rhomboidalis
Red fin - C. rubripinnis

I'm not sure on the blue flasher specifically. Along with what you said, I wonder if they are harder to catch or harder to identify to the species level when juveniles.

Those are fairy wrasses in the genus of Cirrhilabrus. For those females are readily available. Actually more females are put for sale than males (which makes sence since there are 1 male but several female in a harem, so there should be more females than males).

I was talking about flasher wrasses in Paracheilinus genus (like carpenters, McCosker's, filamented, yellow, blue, etc. flasher wrasses). These have the same harem structure but for some reason almost all fish in this genus that are put for sale are males.

 

[ca1ore]

I actually asked this some years ago of a wholesaler I knew. He said there just isnt much demand for them.

 

[nereefpat]

Oh, I see your quandary.

 

[Tripod1404]

I actually asked this some years ago of a wholesaler I knew. He said there just isnt much demand for them.

That is strange because males look spectacular when flashing (or their display coloration). But they rarely flash or show their display coloration when females are absent.

I tried mixing males of different species or even males of same species. But they rarely flash to each other when there are no females.

Some years ago I had 1 male and 2 female carpenters flasher wrasse, male flashed at them all day long and almost always showed his display coloration.

Now I cannot even find a female carpenters flasher wrasse (which is like the most common one), since I am hoping a male from different species might flash at them.

 

[R1ant04]

I think it’s due to less of a demand for “dull or boring colored” females and money. Females r usually cheap so not much money to be made off them...

 

[top shelf]

There are a few places out there that will find specifically what your looking for but of course you'll pay the price. Ibluewater is the first that comes to mind. Could try contacting them or a few others.