Exquisite Wrasse

Description

Exquisite Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus exquisitus, are stunning fish and make great additions to marine tanks.

The colour of these fish set them apart from the rest of the fairy wrasse. They are beautiful dark spectres rather than the bright and bold fish typical of the group. As a result, Exquisite Wrasse are perfect for someone after something different but still glamourous. These fish have dark blue or green flanks, nicely offset by their bright white bellies. They have hot pink heads and a bold pink stripe down their back. Fins are dark for the most part but flecked with blue dots.

Exquisite Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus exquisitus, Ecology:

These beautiful fish are found in the Indo Pacific Ocean. From around Africa to the Tuamotus islands.

The complex habitat help the wrasse avoid predation. Unlike some species, these fish do not bury themselves to sleep or hide. Instead, they have quite a nifty trick. In order to sleep safely, Exquisite Wrasse find a nook they like. They then envelope themselves in a protective mucus coat. Supposedly, this hides the wrasses scent from predators. These sticky invisibility cloaks do not degrade your water quality like some coral wax jackets’ might.

In Nature, Exquisite Wrasse live in groups with one male to a few or more females. Dominant males instigate spawning by preforming their courtship display. He will dash around, showing off his colours to the harem. These fish are protogynous hermaphrodites. Which means that, when they get old enough, breeding females turn into a male. As a result, all juveniles are immature females.

Wrasse in the Aquarium:

It is important to imitate the natural environment by providing plenty of nooks and crannies for the wrasse to hide in. Hobbyists should invest in a jump guard to prevent any unfortunate mishaps.

Exquisite Wrasse do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept enriched frozen mysis shrimp and enriched frozen brine shrimp. They will also devour live foods, such as copepods and amphipods, that can be cultivated in attached refugium. Over time they will accept high-quality pellet or flake. We adapt all our wrasse to aquarium life before they leave us. We focus on their health, and most are eating a good quality flake food and/or pellet, such as JBL Maris, before being offered for sale.

The Fish pictured here are representative only and the livestock you receive may vary in pattern, coloration, and shape.