Solar Fairy Wrasse

Cirrhilabrus solorensis

Also known as Red-Head Solon Fairy Wrasse, Tricolor Fairy Wrasse, Red-Eye Wrasse

SaltwaterFish

Solar Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis) — desertnaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 4.3 in (11 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: Western Pacific reefs, from Indonesia to northern Australia
Family: Labridae

Overview

A peaceful plankton picker that ignores corals, clams, and other invertebrates, making it fully reef safe. It mixes well with clownfish, gobies, blennies, tangs, and other calm community fish, but keep only one male per tank since males spar with each other and with males of similar Cirrhilabrus species. Offer small amounts of mysis, brine shrimp, and other meaty foods two to three times a day to match its active metabolism. Do not skip the tight lid: fairy wrasses are notorious for jumping out of open or poorly covered tanks.

In the wild

Found on coastal and outer reef lagoons from Indonesia to northern Australia, usually over shallow patch reefs and rubble at 5–35 m. In the aquarium it needs at least 340 litres (90 gallons) with open water in the middle of the tank for cruising, plus live rock for grazing and a shaded ledge to retreat to. Like every fairy wrasse it is an excellent jumper, so the tank needs a tight-fitting lid with no gaps around cords, plumbing, or overflow boxes.

Good to know

Cirrhilabrus solorensis is a protogynous hermaphrodite: every fish starts out as a female, and the most dominant female in a group will change sex into the terminal-phase male if none is present. Terminal males grow larger than females and develop the blue body, red dorsal stripe, and yellow-orange face that give the species its common names, with the colors intensifying further during courtship. Adults reach about 11 cm.

Did you know

The common names redhead and solar fairy wrasse both point to the same feature: a bright red saddle running down the back that looks like it is glowing against the blue body, a pattern that gets noticeably more intense whenever a male is showing off for a female.