Flashy Tropical Aquarium Fishes

Flasher Wrasse Favorites for Tropical Reef Aquaria

Jun 13, 2008 Ret Talbot

Hardy, colorful and commonly available, flasher wrasses are some of the best reef aquarium fishes for everyone from beginners to experienced reef aquarists.

There are 14 described species of flasher wrasses (genus Paracheilinus). Flasher wrasses are said to “flash” as they attempt to impress females or intimidate other males by quickly emerging from the reefscape, displaying their flashy coloration and showy finnage and then diving back into the reef. When a male flasher wrasse is kept with two or more female wrasses of the same species—or a single male of a different flasher wrasse species—the aquarist is in for quite a show.

Family Labridae

All wrasses are from the Family Labridae, which is one of the larger families of reef fishes. As a result, there are many variations in behavior, diet, husbandry, and aquarium suitability. Most wrasses are small (three inches or less), but a handful reach six feet. They all have protractile mouths overlapping (imbricate) scales (cycloid scales), and beautiful coloration. Two of the most popular genera of wrasses for reef aquarists are fairy wrasses (genus Cirrhilabrus) and, the subject of this article, flasher wrasses.

Small, Impressive and Colorful

These small zooplankton feeders are generally peaceful fishes appropriate for a peaceful community tank. The males are brightly colored with impressive finnage and should be kept either singly (with other male flasher wrasses) or in small groups of one male and two or more females. Three of the most popular flasher wrasses are the filamented flasher wrasse (P. filamentosus), the carpenter’s flasher wrasse (P. carpenter) and the McCosker's flasher wrasse (P. mccoskeri).

Filamented Flasher Wrasse (P. filamentosus)

The filamented flasher wrasse, sometimes called the filamentous wrasse or filament-fin wrasse, is one of the larger flasher wrasses (to six inches) common in the marine aquarium hobby. This fish is widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific, where it prefers rubble zones on outer reef slopes. This fish is most commonly seen in large shoals at depths of 70 feet or more, although small shoals may also be observed at depths of thirty feet or less.

The male is very attractive with famously elongate dorsal rays. While coloration does vary some with geography, most filamented flasher wrasses have four to five narrow red to blue stripes. The female is usually more muted with shorter fins. Due to their appearance, more males are collected than females. If at least two females cannot be obtained, keeping a single male of this species together with a single male of another flasher wrasse species (e.g. a male carpenter’s flasher wrasse) in a sufficiently large aquarium will insure that both maintain their bold coloration.

Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse (P. carpenteri)

Sometimes called the pink flasher or the redfin flasher, the carpenter’s flasher wrasse is a small wrasse rarely exceeding three inches. It makes the Western Pacific home, although a very similar species, the McCosker's flasher wrasse (P. mccoskeri), replaces it in the Indian Ocean. The carpenter’s flasher wrasse prefers rubble zones near the base of steep outer reef slopes at depths of 70 feet or more. The males are a redish orange to yellow color with a yellow to white underside. Like other flasher wrasses, the male’s doral rays are prolonged. Females are generally paler in color and almost entirely white underneath.

McCosker's Flasher Wrasse (P. mccoskeri)

This wrasse is nearly identical to the carpenter’s flasher wrasse. What distinguishes it is its geographical location, which is the Indo-West Pacific from the western Indian Ocean to Fiji. It is also somewhat rarer in the marine aquarium trade in the United States, and is therefore often more expensive.

Husbandry Tips

Most flasher wrasses are very similar in their husbandry requirements. They prefer:

an aquarium of at least 30 gallons (larger if you intend to keep a group).
plenty of live rock.
a sandy substrate.

If you are going to keep a small group:

keep one male with two or more females.
add the females first or add them all together.

Feed a varied diet including:

meaty bits of marine flesh (e.g. raw table shrimp, squid, clam, and mussel).
some type of herbivorous food such as a flake food formulated for herbivores or seaweed strips.
commercially prepared pellet food and frozen food.

Because flasher wrasses have high metabolisms, provide them with either/or:

a connected refugium with a healthy pod population.
frequent small feedings (four or more a day).

Learn about other tropical saltwater aquarium fishes with the Guide to Saltwater Aquarium Fishes

The copyright of the article Flashy Tropical Aquarium Fishes in Saltwater Fish is owned by Ret Talbot. Permission to republish Flashy Tropical Aquarium Fishes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Male McCoskeri Flasher Wrasse