Wrasse ID please

mil hse

just frag it
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i just picked up this guy this afternoon... not quite sure what kind of wrasse he/she is? please help
 

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Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura or Cirrhilabrus lyukyuensis. initial stage specimens are difficult to distinguish and can only be told more easily as the fish matures.

the prsense of the punducular spot suggest that it's still a juvneile, but it's turning female soon.
 
Not everything gets answered right away patience young grasshopper but from what I can see it looks like a female fairy wrasse in teh cyanopleura complex most likely a bluesided but not positive on that. Hard to say unless it changes to male.
 
your right on the patience, i just wanted to have a place to start looking. It was an impulse buy (which i don't normally do) and i wanted to make sure that i get as much info on it as i can. My LFS is not exactly the best at knowing species :-) i guess all that matters is it ate a TON about 10 min in my tank. and seems fine... so thanks again
 
Hi!

Cirrhilabrus lyukyuensis is a synonym for Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura. ;)

it was, but not anymore.

it used to be a synonym but lyukyuensis is a registered species now.

C. cyanopleura was described by bleeker in 1851. the type species was found in Java

C. lyukyuensis was only described much later in 1904 by Ishigawa. the type species was found in Okinawa japan.

the difference is in the large yellow patch that's found just behind the pectoral fins of male lyukyuensis, and the absense of this patch in cyanopleura.

of course there are some differences in other minor details perhaps?
 
This is as far right.
But lyukyuensis is a color morph of cyanopleura. Just as well Cirrhilabrus Heterodon and Cirrhilabrus ryukyuensis a color morph of Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura is.

Just as the Chrysiptera rollandi. There is a color morph with a yellow forehead (Vanuatu) and some with a black forehead (eg. Papua New Guinea).
 
This is as far right.
But lyukyuensis is a color morph of cyanopleura. Just as well Cirrhilabrus Heterodon and Cirrhilabrus ryukyuensis a color morph of Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura is.

Just as the Chrysiptera rollandi. There is a color morph with a yellow forehead (Vanuatu) and some with a black forehead (eg. Papua New Guinea).

i think it depends on the scientists :)

some are "lumpers" and tend to lump closely related species as just one species.

some are "splitters" and like to split everything into individual species based on the slightest difference.

i think it's ok if we choose to think lyukyuensis and cyanopleura are the same, or different. as long as we know what fishes we are referring to, then it's ok.

rudie kuiter's new book on labridae seems to split many many species up. he's a splitter i guess.

he split up C. exquisitus into 5 different new "sp" based on geographical colour morph. but these do not have a registered scientific name and are just labelled by him as C. cf exquisitus 1-5

scottorum is also split up, into C. scottoum and C. cf scottorum (australian variant)

so at the end of the day as long as we all understand what fish we're referring to, then it's ok and that's the most important.

but i choose to believe in C. cyanopleura and C. lyukyuensis for now.

cheers! :wave:
 
i think it depends on the scientists :)

some are "lumpers" and tend to lump closely related species as just one species.

some are "splitters" and like to split everything into individual species based on the slightest difference.

Yeah, I agree: reality is relative (my apologies to Plato)
 
and from what i ve been finding online most retail stores choose to split them :-) One question i do have... other than enriched brine shrimp and mysis, is there any food specific i need to be feeding this PIG. Oh and when can you tell when they are male/female, roughly. He/she is a wonderful addition to my tank. This is my first wrasse btw.
 
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