All fish / Labridae

Exquisite Fairy Wrasse

Cirrhilabrus exquisitus

Also known as exquisite wrasse, exquisite fairy wrasse, exquisitus wrasse, exquisite flasher wrasse, red-flanked fairy wrasse, ニシキイトヒキベラ, 艳丽丝隆头鱼, 七彩仙子

A slim, active fairy wrasse whose males show green to olive bodies with a red rear half, blue lines and a dark spot at the tail base, with colours varying by region. It is kept because it is reef safe, colourful and spends its time swimming openly in the water column picking off plankton.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

One male with one or more females; only one male per tank

Diet

Carnivore: zooplankton such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods and quality small pellets, fed several times a day

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to the Line Islands and southern Japan to the Great Barrier Reef

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that spawns in pairs, with males performing bright courtship displays at dusk. Eggs and larvae are pelagic and captive rearing is rarely achieved.

Good to know

It is a skilled jumper, so a tight-fitting lid is essential. Males can fight with other fairy wrasses, so add it before or with similar species and avoid two males unless the tank is very large.