TankBud

Social fairy wrasse

Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis

Also known as Social wrasse, Longfin fairy wrasse, Ruby longfin fairy wrasse, Red and blue wrasse

SaltwaterFish

Social fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis)
(c) Julien Renoult, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
2.8 in
7 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Labridae
Origin
Indian Ocean and Red Sea reefs, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the western Indian Ocean

Overview

The social fairy wrasse is an active, reef-safe fairy wrasse that is best kept in a group. It is an easy reef fish.

Did you know

Male social fairy wrasses put on a real light show, flushing brighter color and flicking their long fins to court the females. With several females around, the male displays far more than a lone fish would. A single male by himself often stays washed out compared to one showing off to a harem.

Caring for the social fairy wrasse

Give a social fairy wrasse at least 53 gal (200 L), with plenty of live rock for cover and open water to swim in. It swims actively in the middle and upper water column. Fairy wrasses are strong jumpers and will go through any gap, so keep the top tightly covered.

Hold stable marine water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. These active fish eat often, so feed small meaty foods such as mysis and enriched brine shrimp two or three times a day.

The social fairy wrasse does fine alone, but it is meant to be kept in a group. Keep either a male with several females or a bonded pair. It is more inclined to squabble with its own kind than other fairy wrasses, so keep only one male. A group needs a large tank, so the male can show off without cornering the females.

It is mild toward other peaceful tank mates and fully reef safe, ignoring corals and invertebrates. Males have a red to pink body, blue markings and long trailing pelvic and dorsal fins. Breeding it is hard. It is only very rarely bred in captivity, so trade fish are wild-caught.

Good to know

Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis is a fairy wrasse in the family Labridae. Its common name comes from the way it lives in groups. Like other Cirrhilabrus, it is a protogynous hermaphrodite, and females can change into males.

In the wild

Social fairy wrasses come from Indian Ocean and Red Sea reefs. They gather over rubble slopes and reef edges in loose groups, with a dominant male displaying to a cluster of females. They are active midwater fish that hover and dart above the rock, picking zooplankton from the current.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The social fairy wrasse is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a social fairy wrasse need?

A social fairy wrasse needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a social fairy wrasse need?

A social fairy wrasse is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a social fairy wrasse eat?

A social fairy wrasse eats small meaty foods such as mysis and enriched brine shrimp. It is an active fish that eats often, so feed it two or three times a day.

How big does a social fairy wrasse get?

An adult social fairy wrasse reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).

How can you tell a male social fairy wrasse from a female?

Males have a red to pink body, blue markings and long trailing pelvic and dorsal fins.

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