McCosker's flasher wrasse

Paracheilinus mccoskeri

Also known as mccosker's flasher wrasse, mccoskers flasher wrasse, mccosker flasher wrasse, mccosker's wrasse, flasher wrasse, mccoskeri flasher, マッコスカーズ・フラッシャーラス, 麦氏丝隆头鱼, 麦克斯克副唇鱼

Tankmates, for sale near you Identify a fish from a photo

A small, slim wrasse with an orange to reddish body marked by thin blue lines, and males carry an extended dorsal fin with a long filament. Males 'flash' by raising their fins and brightening their colours to show off to females, which makes them a lively and colourful choice for a peaceful reef tank.

Care at a glance

Care level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Adult size: 7 cm
Temperature: 23 to 27 °C
pH: 8.1 to 8.4
Smallest tank: 115 litres
Keep as: One male with two or more females; avoid keeping two males in a small tank
Diet: Carnivore: small meaty foods such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods and fine marine pellets, fed several times a day
Swims: Middle of the tank
Lifespan: 3 to 5 years
Water: Marine (saltwater)
Wild range: Eastern Indian Ocean: Maldives, Sri Lanka, Andaman Sea, western Indonesia

Breeding

It spawns in pairs in open water, with the male displaying to females around dusk and releasing floating eggs. Spawning happens in home aquariums, but raising the tiny pelagic larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

Like other flasher wrasses it jumps readily, so a tight-fitting lid or mesh cover is essential. Keep it away from large or aggressive tankmates such as dottybacks and big wrasses, and note that several similar Paracheilinus species are sometimes mislabelled in the trade.