Absolutely Exquisite!

We say Cirrhilabrus, and you say beautiful, aquarium appropriate, and peaceful! The best part is you're right on all accounts! Pretty much every fish in this grouping (Cirrhilabrus is a genus) is drop dead gorgeous. Females are pretty, though more subdued than their even flashier, bigger finned male bretheren, which can be nothing short of science fiction pretty, especially when they are showing off for females or defending their harem from other males. One of the most unique species in this group is the fish called the Exquisite Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus exquisitus) and it deserves this name. What makes it interesting is that it might actually be a much larger group of species as these fish have an absolutely huge range, and over this range, can look dramatically different, though they have many traits in common, which is how they got grouped together in the first place.

There are at least ten distinct populations of Exquisite Wrasse around the world (perhaps more than a dozen) and different groups of these fish can be found throughout the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as the Indo-Pacific Region separating them. There is some debate as to which of these species is the true Cirrhilabrus exquisitus and for now, most governmental and regulatory bodies still describe them all as one. All these fish have many things in common, and among them is a deep forest green base color, though after that, the markings can become incredibly diverse depending on where the fish was sourced!

Another thing they all have in common is size; these are small fish and females are unlikely to get bigger than three to three and a half inches long while the males max out just under five inches long, though a much more common size would be closer to just a hair over four. More things they all have in common are wild habitat, distribution and feeding. They will congregate in fairly large groups of mixed sexes, usually with single males claiming/protecting a group of females from other males. In these groups they feed on suspended foods (primarily zoplankton) suspended above reef edges and rocky outcrops where there is usually strong water flow. There are some reports of them being associated with specific corals.

In your home aquarium, we suggest keeping only one male unless the aquarium is large. Depending on the size of the tank, this one male could look after three to five females. Conversely, you could keep them as a pair and occasionally we offer mated pairs to our retail partners. No matter what your tank allows and what your preferred display looks like, we suggest adding them all at the same time. A pair could be kept in a display as small as 75 gallons, and a small harem in a display around 125. If you plan on having more species of wrasses from this genus, they'll need a bigger home. Tanks should mimic their wild environment, offering strong flow, at least ten times the volume of the aquarium in combined flow for filtration and water movement. There should be plenty of rocks for them to hide and rest in, but also plenty of open space for them to swim and display for each other (and you!) Always cover aquariums with any fish from Cirrhilabrus as they have a tendency to swim rapidly upward when startled, and in an aquarium, they'll run out of vertical space and possibly launch themselves out of the tank.

Cirrhilabrus exquisitus is an excellent choice for reef aquariums of all types and when you look up the term “reef safe” it should probably have a picture of an Exquisite Wrasses. They are super low risk with all of your corals, clams, cleanup crew and any other inverts you can think of. When thinking about other fish to keep them with, they are very peaceful with everything with one possible exception. If you have too many male Cirrhilabrus in too small of a space, the males can become aggressive with each other. You should avoid fish like large Damsels, notoriously aggressive Triggers, Puffers and or other fish that might bully or pick on the Wrasse(s). Good choices would be things like Halichoeres genus wrasses, Surgeonfish, Cardinals, Rabbitfish, Chromis, etc. The one group of invertebrates we would caution you against keeping with your Exquisite Wrasses is very strong anemones. This is because we've seen startled wrasses bolt right into them, and this ends badly for the fish, and the anemone gets an expensive lunch.

Like all Cirrhilabrus Wrasses, Exquisites are very active swimmers that are used to eating constantly all day long. While you won't need to offer this demanding feeding regimen to them, you should plan on at least two feedings a day, which is what we do here. More frequent, smaller meals are fine. As plankton feeders, they’re used to eating suspended food and usually adapt well to types of food you'll be offering them in the home aquarium. The biggest challenge is their initial shyness, which might lead to hiding during mealtimes. Their diet should include high-quality pellets, like Nutramar Complete Sinking Pellets. We also mix in various meaty foods from Gamma Foods, including Mysis shrimp, Enhanced Brine Shrimp, Copepods, Finely Chopped Mussel, and Prawn. A good pellet and a broad spectrum of food types will help enhance and maintain their brilliant colors.

One of the best parts about keeping Exquisite Wrasses (outside their looks and high activity) is that they aren't that hard to keep. If you're putting them into reef aquaria, they won't need water quality parameters any different than the corals that are already in there. These fish are uniquely colored as very few fish that are available to the home aquarist come anywhere close to the fir green of these wrasses. Their durability makes them a great alternative to all but the hardiest of the Anthias out there. They're small in stature, but big in visual impact! If you want to delve deeper into the nuances of coloration based on location, there are a few good articles out there on the world wide web for you to really fish-geek out on! If this sounds like your cup of tea, head over to your Local Fish Store and ask them about getting you some Exquisite Wrasses from Quality Marine today!