Let Me ID Your Wrasse!

ngoodermuth · Mar 1, 2019

Jacob Fawley said:
That’s really cool to know that it’s male. You said transitional? Is this not its final coloration?

Some examples of terminal males in this article, there are some color variations but all develop the namesake green/blue "hood":
https://reefbuilders.com/2015/06/22/fairy-wrasses-cyanopleura-group/

Jacob Fawley · Mar 1, 2019

evolved said:
Right, it should continue to progress and eventually reach terminal male, and look something similar to Liveaquaria's photo: https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/1153/bluehead-fairy-wrasse?pcatid=1153&c=15+1378+1153

ngoodermuth said:
Some examples of terminal males in this article, there are some color variations but all develop the namesake green/blue "hood":
https://reefbuilders.com/2015/06/22/fairy-wrasses-cyanopleura-group/

Wow, thanks for the information. Some of the variations are really cool. Honestly, they're all beautiful. Can't wait to see what mine transitions to! I also saw what the females look like, does the presence of a female affect this transition at all?

evolved · Mar 1, 2019

Jacob Fawley said:
does the presence of a female affect this transition at all?

It can speed it up, but in captivity it'd also be likely to result in both fish transitioning, and then problems tend to arise.

Jacob Fawley · Mar 1, 2019

Yeah, I'm afraid that may have happened with my clowns (to female). They've been together for years, but now the supposed "male" has grown to be bigger than the supposed "female". I'm not really sure what to make of it, but I know that this is not the place for clownfish discussion.

ngoodermuth · Mar 1, 2019

One of my earlier mistakes was thinking I could try to create a harem of flame wrasses by purchasing three females. All three were male or well on their way within a few months, and I had to re-home two.

Jacob Fawley · Mar 1, 2019

I don't plan on doing that then.

Eric23 · Mar 3, 2019

Unidentified fairy wrasse at a local shop that I just picked up.

evolved · Mar 3, 2019

Eric23 said:
Unidentified fairy wrasse at a local shop that I just picked up.

C. temminckii

Eric23 · Mar 3, 2019

Thank you !!

Jcarvallo · Mar 4, 2019

Hi
Can you help me ID these beauties

Thanks

Jcarvallo · Mar 4, 2019

The first one seems to be a female exquisitus for What I have seen on the web.

ngoodermuth · Mar 4, 2019

I’m awful at ID’ing females, but for sure can tell you the last one is a red spotted dottyback, not a wrasse. They are semi-aggressive.

Jcarvallo · Mar 4, 2019

Thanks

ngoodermuth said:
I’m awful at ID’ing females, but for sure can tell you the last one is a red spotted dottyback, not a wrasse. They are semi-aggressive.

evolved · Mar 4, 2019

Jcarvallo said:
Hi
Can you help me ID these beauties

Thanks

First one could be a female of the lubbocki complex; could also be a female pylei or maybe even rubripinnis. Would require good pictures over a video.
Same situaiton with #2. It's a transitional male Paracheilinus of either mccoskeri, carpenteri, or flavianalis - would need to see the dorsal and anal fins in a picture to determine.
And the last one:

ngoodermuth said:
I’m awful at ID’ing females, but for sure can tell you the last one is a red spotted dottyback, not a wrasse. They are semi-aggressive.

Yeah, that.

Jcarvallo · Mar 4, 2019

Thank you very much!!!

CoralWealth · Mar 5, 2019

Is it just me or do the linespot and blue flasher wrasse look the exact same? I got a linespot flasher from LA but after they put a hippo tang in the bag that was labeled for a yellowfin flasher wrasse, I am not confident at all.

Any specific ways to tell the difference? I will try to get some pictures and a video later of it. I would love to get a blue flasher wrasse too along with my linespot if possible in my 180 gallon DT, I just want to make sure I actually have a linespot and not a blue flasher.

ngoodermuth · Mar 5, 2019

Very, very similar. Linespot has a rounded caudel fin. There are side-by-side examples in this article:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-08/ht/index.php

evolved · Mar 5, 2019

Right, where as cyaneus has a crescent tail.

CoralWealth · Mar 5, 2019

ngoodermuth said:
Very, very similar. Linespot has a rounded caudel fin. There are side-by-side examples in this article:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-08/ht/index.php

evolved said:
Right, where as cyaneus has a crescent tail.

Thank you both!

Would it be fine to have both in a 180g since they are so close or would that cause problems? Other wrasse I have right now are mccoskers, carpenters, yellow corris, leopard wrasse and cleaner wrasse.