Let Me ID Your Wrasse!

[OrionN]

Is this a C. lunatus?

 

[evolved]

Is this a C. lunatus?

lunatus or cf. lunatus- would need to see the pattern on the sides to make that determination.

 

[alton]

I will try and get a better picture tomorrow. Minh is a good friend and the person I go to for information. I sent him the picture because originally I thought it was a female pintail. But it continues to get darker

 

[alton]

This what it looked like in the fish a month ago?

 

[evolved]

I will try and get a better picture tomorrow. Minh is a good friend and the person I go to for information. I sent him the picture because originally I thought it was a female pintail. But it continues to get darker

No, it's definitely a transitional male, lunatus or cf lunatus is the only question.

 

[OrionN]

What is he differences between C. lunatus and C. cf. lunatus? The Lunatus have dark lower body while Cf. Lunatus have body more like Isosceles?
These immage are not mine for sure but from the internet.

Lunatus

Cf. Lunatus

Cf. Lunatus and Isosceles

 

[evolved]

What is he differences between C. lunatus and C. cf. lunatus? The Lunatus have dark lower body while Cf. Lunatus have body more like Isosceles?
These immage are not mine for sure but from the internet.

Lunatus

Cf. Lunatus

Cf. Lunatus and Isosceles

It's the gold bar versus the stripe on the sides, above the black margin. The gold bar is Japanese (lunatus), and the stripe is from the Philippines (cf lunatus). The stripe is also common to isosceles.

 

[OrionN]

Thanks.

It's the gold bar versus the stripe on the sides, above the black margin. The gold bar is Japanese (lunatus), and the stripe is from the Philippines (cf lunatus). The stripe is also common to isosceles.

Is the lower body dark coloration common to both species?
Thanks

 

[evolved]

Thanks.


Is the lower body dark coloration common to both species?
Thanks

As terminal males, yes - the amount of black is rather similar between them. lunatus does have a bit more, but it's not a big difference at all.
None of the cf lunatus in your photos are quite terminal males.

 

[Dempsey941]

 

[Rollman]

Any idea? It was called a wingtip at the LFS? Sorry for blues lol

 

[evolved]

Any idea? It was called a wingtip at the LFS? Sorry for blues lol

H. melanurus

 

[nereefpat]

H. melanurus is so pretty when mature. Too bad they're bland as juveniles.

 

[zalick]

Was told yellow Coris. Looks more like a four spot (but no spots).

Dorsal fin has no spots. Edit: one black spot just behind the head that is visible in the pic, barely.

Age: probably 4+ years old. I have it 3 and it was about 3-4" when I got it.

Thoughts?

And thanks!

 

[nereefpat]

Close cousin. H. leucoxanthus

 

[zalick]

Close cousin. H. leucoxanthus

I should add, it does have a single small black dot on the dorsal fin just behind the head. You can just see it in the picture.

 

[evolved]

Close cousin. H. leucoxanthus

Yup, that's correct.

 

[madweazl]

So uh, how do you tell a female Carpenter's from a juvenile male?

 

[evolved]

So uh, how do you tell a female Carpenter's from a juvenile male?

The presence of dorsal filaments and/or transparency of the fins. That's a transitional male and might even be Mccoskeri.

 

[madweazl]

The presence of dorsal filaments and/or transparency of the fins. That's a transitional male and might even be Mccoskeri.

I guess I see a single filament there in the dorsal fin (tough to tell because it was a bit beat up). It does have two very faint yellow bands on the tail fin that didn't come out well in the pic but do seem to point towards a McCosker's over the Carpenter's (I actually wanted a McCosker's but they only had this one that was labeled Carpenter's; they're close enough it doesn't bug me either way). Thanks for taking a look and pointing out some of the features!