Wrasse ID please

MCCOOL

Active member
Hello all,

Today at one of my LfS, I stumbled upon this wrasse. The store had it listed as a "Red flasher wrasse", it has been in one of their coral tanks for the last 6 months until it decided to take a ride down the overflow. It ate vigorously, and was pretty cheap so I decided to get it. I usually don't buy fish without knowing exactly what I'm buying, but I know I can take it back if necessary and it'll be easy to catch out of the qt.

So who can ID it for me? I haven't found anything similar yet, but am still searching. Sorry for the bad picture, I'm still trying to get a better one

Thanks for any help

IMG_0279.jpg
 
I've yet to see it raise it's dorsal, but it appears to be dark pink with some purple.

Here are a few more pictures

IMG_0286.jpg

IMG_0283.jpg
 
what color is the top dorsal fin ? kinda looks like a Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis

This is what I thought at first too but the purple lines kinda threw me off. Maybe Parachelilinus Carpenteri. I dont think its a Mccoskers but they all look so close.
 
I don't think it looks like a mccoskers, not in person anyways.

C. rubripinnis does indeed look similar, but I can't find one with the purple Lines. The purple lines/spots on the fish are very bright and run almost the entire length of it's body.

Thanks for the replies so far
 
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matt where do you get that from out of curiousity, cause i posted a id for a wrasse, but mine is def male and they said the same thing, yet there is no nothing for info
 
Thank you Matt

A search on the species certainly doesn't yield much info, if anyone has any please feel free to share.
 
I can't find any good info on the internet about them, mostly forum threads. Check out Kuiter's wrasse books if you have them, it's listed in there.
 
kuiter's new book on labridae fishes includes pictures of the "kwazulu" fairy wrasse.

but not much info still.

yours is a female of the kwazulu fairy, but could be female of others from the joanallenae complex too. the females all look fairly similar except for naoko's fairy wrasse.
 
mccool he is actually pretty docile, but i do have several other wrasse's in my tank, my condie plays chase with it alot though and have left a few marks on him
 
mccool he is actually pretty docile, but i do have several other wrasse's in my tank, my condie plays chase with it alot though and have left a few marks on him

Thank you for the Experience, I currently have a meleagris leopard wrasse and a melanurus wrasse but this is my first fairy wrasse. Hopefully they all get along
 
or ya could send it to me so i have a pair lol the other 2 wrasse shouldnt bother it, also is your tank covered, fairy\flashers are known jumpers
 
Haha I was hoping your male was headed my way...

My tank is covered with 1/4" netting from bulkreefsupply, so no chance of escape.

Thank you for all the insight, it's really been a big help
 
:thumbsup: will do.

How large is yours? And does it have an elongated dorsal? Mine has a very long filament(?) At the front of it's dorsal fin, probably an inch long or so. Seems to only be the first ray on the dorsal, I'm trying to grab a picture but it hasn't worked so well yet.

Sorry for all the questions, it seems there are only a handful of aquarists keeping this fish.
 
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