Exquisite Fairy Wrasse ♀ (Cirrhilabrus exquisitus)
| Exquisite Fairy Wrasse ♀ Cirrhilabrus exquisitus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Exquisite Fairy Wrasse ♀ |
| Name Lat. | Cirrhilabrus exquisitus |
| Family | Wrasses |
| Family lat. | Labridae |
| Order | Wrasses & Relatives |
| Order lat. | Labriformes |
| Origin | Indo-Pacific |
| Habitat | Reefs |
| Diet | Planktivore |
| pH | 8,1-8,4 |
| Hardness | 8-10 °KH |
| Behavior | Peaceful |
| Keeping | Pair, group |
| Reef Compatible | Yes |
| Care Level | Moderate |
| Life Span | 2-3 years |
| Protection | No |
| Metric Units | |
| Size | 12 cm |
| Temperature | 24-28 °C |
| Salinity | 33-36 ‰ |
| Aquarium | ~ 400 l |
| US Units | |
| Size | 5" |
| Temperature | 75-82 °F |
| Salinity | 1.020-1.025 sg |
| Aquarium | ~ 100 gal |
Distribution and habitat
The distribution area of Cirrhilabrus exquisitus is the Indo-Pacific, from the East African coast through Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines to the Tuamotu Islands. They live there over rock or rubble on reefs and outer reef edges to depths of 40 m.
Maintenance
They require a well-structured aquarium with plenty of swimming space and a reef structure (hiding, resting and retreat possibilities) with living stones that act like a biological filter as well as a substrate of sand or fine gravel. Only substrates rich in lime and free of heavy metals may be used as substrate.
Filters, skimmers and heaters are necessary to ensure water quality, as well as pumps to simulate tides, swells and bottom currents. Lighting must match the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals
| Salinity: 33-36 ‰ | pH value: 8.1-8.4 |
| Carbonate hardness: 8-10 °KH | Nitrate content: 2-8 mg/l |
| phosphate content: 0.01-0.1 mg/l | nitrite content: 0.0-0.05 mg/l |
For salinity, an average value should be aimed for, which may only vary slightly by +/- 0.5 ‰. Ammonia and ammonium must not be measurable. Special attention must be paid to constantly good water quality.
Diet
In nature they feed mainly on zooplankton. The feed changeover does not always succeed without problems. The food supply for these slow eaters should consist of a commercially available, vitamin-enriched, frozen special food mix for plankton eaters or a combination of chopped shrimp and crab meat with live and frozen foods, such as mysis, krill, bosmids, cyclops and Artemia. High quality flake and granulated foods are also often accepted after a period of acclimation
It is recommended to feed small portions several times a day (3-5 times). This also reduces intra-species aggression. Regular and varied feeding promotes health and increases resistance.
Behaviour and compatibility
The young fish, mostly females, are peaceful among themselves and can be kept without problems. With the sex change to male the aggression increases. They should be kept in pairs or in a group of at least 5 animals. Several animals can be socialized well, if they are put into the aquarium at the same time. They behave peacefully towards other fish.
Sex dimorphism
They are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that most males develop from functional females. The females are less colorful than the males, which have bright red spots
Reproduction and breeding
There are no known reports of successful breeding in the aquarium.
Important
Their coloration is very variable according to origin and mood (blue, green, orange, purple, red or yellow). Especially during the acclimation they often jump, so make sure the aquarium is well covered
They can be kept very well in a reef aquarium with corals and invertebrates and should not be kept in a fish-only aquarium.
If different species are kept together, care should be taken to match the fish in terms of water quality and temperature requirements and social behavior, and to ensure that the setup meets the needs of all species kept together. New fish to be introduced must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium
Further literature can be found in your pet store.
References
Text: petdata; Image: petdata
Source: KUITER, DEBELIUS (2007): Atlas der Meeresfische: Die Fische an den Küsten der Weltmeere, Kosmos Verlag; ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch
- Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF