Bluehead Fairy Wrasse

[edit] Overview

This is one of a number of amazing smaller, shoaling wrasses that exhibit striking colors and that readily adapt to certain aquarium venues. You can keep more than one Bluehead Fairy Wrasse in the same tank, but add only one male per aquarium and one or more females.

This species is sometimes confused with the Redhead Fairy Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus solorensis, and the two are suspected of crossbreeding to produce unusual hybrid variants.

The Bluehead Fairy Wrasse should not be introduced into a tank with aggressive tankmates and should always have access to numerous hiding places.

[edit] Feeding

Carnivore. Feed meaty foods such as mysid shrimp and enriched brine shrimp several times per day.

[edit] Aquarium Compatibility

This species is rarely aggressive toward fish tankmates with the possible exception of its cousins. Once a male has fully acclimated to aquarium living, it may chase and nip at other fairy wrasses or the closely related flasher wrasses. It is safe with most reef aquarium invertebrates.

[edit] Breeding/Propagation

Egg scatterers that produce pelagic eggs, often in midwater mating rituals. Both eggs and larvae that drift with plankton in the water column and settle back onto a reef at about the time of metamorphosis. These are among the most challenging types of marine fishes to propagate in captivity.

[edit] Notes

This interesting fish often pops up and down as it moves through the water, in part because of its using its pectoral fins to scull through the water. It is a very accomplished escape artist that will leap from an open aquarium when startled or involved in courtship. It usually feeds from the water column, hunting zooplankton, although it will also pick some food off the substrate.

Category: Species