Let Me ID Your Wrasse!

[evolved]

Male or female?

Male (but an aggressive jerk either way)

 

[OrionN]

Just update on my Vrolik wrasse. Still a female, huge over 5 inches.

 

[Seamore2001]

No picture, but trying to determine what wrasse my LFS has. They identified it as a "Blue Pencil Wrasse" but I cannot track down a species name for this common name. The fish is at least six inches long - rather larger than I was expecting for a pencil wrasse. It looked similar to a Pseudojuloides splendens but is larger than I understood that fish to get (5") with more green than blue.

I understand that without a picture, identifying the fish would be "challenging".
So my questions are does the common name Blue Pencil Wrasse call to mind any particular species, and are there any pencil wrasses that look similar to P. splendens and are in the +6" size range - or does P. splendens get that large?

 

[evolved]

No picture, but trying to determine what wrasse my LFS has. They identified it as a "Blue Pencil Wrasse" but I cannot track down a species name for this common name. The fish is at least six inches long - rather larger than I was expecting for a pencil wrasse. It looked similar to a Pseudojuloides splendens but is larger than I understood that fish to get (5") with more green than blue.

I understand that without a picture, identifying the fish would be "challenging".
So my questions are does the common name Blue Pencil Wrasse call to mind any particular species, and are there any pencil wrasses that look similar to P. splendens and are in the +6" size range - or does P. splendens get that large?

A picture would certainly answer the question.

The only three species that takes my brain to, based on name alone, is the trifecta of P. cerasinus, P. splendens, & P. kaleidos. All of which are around 5" at maturity, however. But, I'll also point out that it can be a bit hard to visually estimate the total length of an active fish swimming around.

 

[Seamore2001]

A picture would certainly answer the question.

The only three species that takes my brain to, based on name alone, is the trifecta of P. cerasinus, P. splendens, & P. kaleidos. All of which are around 5" at maturity, however. But, I'll also point out that it can be a bit hard to visually estimate the total length of an active fish swimming around.

Thanks @evolved. Yes, a picture would have been best. I'll admit that I was a bit distracted - the LFS was running some doorbusters today and the store kept filling up - I just really wanted to get out of there quickly and didn't think to take a snap until I was out the door and on my way home. Maybe I can get them to text a picture to me so I can post it.

Thanks again!

 

[Beau_B]

Labeled orange stripe fairy wrasse. Not sure what that would be.

 

[evolved]

Labeled orange stripe fairy wrasse. Not sure what that would be.

Need to see the caudal a little better....
If it's showing signs of becoming a crescent shape at the trailing edge, then it's C. lunatus.
If it's showing signs of turning into a point in the middle at the trailing edge, then it's C. isosceles.

 

[Beau_B]

I would say it’s C shaped, so C. Lunatus it seems. Thanks!

 

[Beau_B]

Wait... whoa. I just looked that up. That’s a rare/pricey fish! I think he LFS had it at $40. Could it be that mis-identified?!

 

[evolved]

Wait... whoa. I just looked that up. That’s a rare/pricey fish! I think he LFS had it at $40. Could it be that mis-identified?!

The Philippine variant (which I usually refer to as cf. lunatus, and should have here too) is much more common and cheaper.

 

[diverpat]

This isn’t from an aquarium but I’m wondering the name of this guy. Ive been sent 3 of these pics from fisherman who have caught them 30-40 miles off of the southeastern North Carolina coast in around 100-140 ft of water. It looks like a Halichoeres spp. but I’m having trouble ID’ing it.

 

[mattzang]

it's not a huge male halichoeres radiatus? puddingwife wrasse

 

[evolved]

This isn’t from an aquarium but I’m wondering the name of this guy. Ive been sent 3 of these pics from fisherman who have caught them 30-40 miles off of the southeastern North Carolina coast in around 100-140 ft of water. It looks like a Halichoeres spp. but I’m having trouble ID’ing it.

Thanks for the challenge!
H. cyanocephalus

 

[diverpat]

Thanks for the challenge!
H. cyanocephalus

Awesome, thanks for the ID! It’s an unusual species for this area.

 

[evolved]

Awesome, thanks for the ID! It’s an unusual species for this area.

Northern drift from Southern species on the Atlantic coast is actually pretty common, especially after hurricanes. But they won't survive the long term in the cooler waters.

 

[Lsuhunter]

Sold as a Christmas

 

[evolved]

Sold as a Christmas

H. biocellatus

 

[Lsuhunter]

That’s what I thought also, thanks for verifying.

 

[Deep]

P. hemitaeniatus

Any idea of the depths at which these are found ? Its been a week and consistently seeing it hide the moment the halides come on and stay there till they go off. He is just fine with the dim T5s. I have reduced the halide photoperiod and cannot reduce any further.

 

[evolved]

Any idea of the depths at which these are found ? Its been a week and consistently seeing it hide the moment the halides come on and stay there till they go off. He is just fine with the dim T5s. I have reduced the halide photoperiod and cannot reduce any further.

10-30 meters
He will eventually adjust.