Exquisite Fairy Wrasse

Cirrhilabrus exquisitus

Also known as Exquisite Wrasse

SaltwaterFish

Exquisite Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus exquisitus) — Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 4.7 in (12 cm)
Minimum tank: 90 gal (340 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Indo-Pacific reefs, from East Africa to the Tuamotu Islands
Family: Labridae

Overview

Peaceful toward essentially every tankmate and completely reef safe, never bothering corals, clams, or other invertebrates. Males can be rough on females of their own species introduced after they are already settled in, so add females before or alongside the male rather than afterward, and keep only one Cirrhilabrus male per tank to avoid fighting. Offer enriched mysis and brine shrimp along with marine flake and pellet several times a day. It is a strong, accurate jumper, so a snug-fitting lid is not optional.

In the wild

Ranges across the Indo-Pacific from the East African coast to the Tuamotu Islands, living on reef slopes and lagoons at 6–40 m, most often in the shallower 6–10 m band. It needs a tank of at least 340 litres (90 gallons) with plenty of live rock to graze over, bright lighting with a few shaded ledges to retreat to, and open water above the rock for cruising. As with all fairy wrasses, a tight-fitting canopy is essential, since this fish will find any gap in the lid.

Good to know

Cirrhilabrus exquisitus is a protogynous hermaphrodite, starting life as a female and changing to a male if the dominant male in its group disappears. Terminal males grow larger, more pointed fins and far more color than females: a pale gray-green body with pink and blue markings on the face, red in the dorsal and anal fins, and a black spot at the base of the tail underlined with a blue streak. Adults reach about 12 cm, making this one of the larger fairy wrasses in the trade. Coloration also shifts by collection region, with African and Maldivian fish showing more red and Fijian fish running more blue.

Did you know

This species is one of the few reef fish where the same species looks noticeably different depending on where it was collected: aquarists comparing an African-caught male to an Indonesian one are often surprised to learn they are looking at the same fish, just with more red in one and more green in the other.