Temminckii Fairy Wrasse Male

Temminckii Fairy Wrasse Male, Cirrhilabrus temminckii, also go by the name Threadfin Fairy Wrasse. They are fabulous fish and make great additions to marine aquariums.

The colour of these fish set them apart from the rest of the fairy wrasse. They are beautiful dark spectres rather than the bright and bold fish typical of the group. As a result, Temminckii Fairy Wrasse are perfect for someone after something different but still glamourous. These fish have dark blue flanks, nicely offset by their bright white bellies. They have dusky pink heads and a bold pink stripe near their back. They sport electric blue stripes along their back and across the lower part of their dorsal fin. Their fins are dark for the most part but still show off shades of pink, blue and yellow.

Male Temminckii Fairy Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus temminckii, Ecology.

These beautiful fish are found in the Pacific Ocean. Around: Japan, the Philippines and Australia.

The complex habitat helps the wrasse avoid predation. Unlike some species, these fish do not bury themselves to sleep or hide. Instead, they have quite a nifty trick. In order to sleep safely, Temminckii Fairy Wrasse find a nook they like. They then envelope themselves in a protective mucus coat. Supposedly, this hides the wrasses scent from predators. These sticky invisibility cloaks do not degrade your water quality like some coral wax jackets’ might.

In Nature, Temminckii Fairy Wrasse live in groups with one male to a few or more females. Dominant males instigate spawning by preforming their courtship display. He will dash around, showing off his colours to the harem. These fish are protogynous hermaphrodites. Which means that, when they get old enough, breeding females turn into a male. As a result, all juveniles are immature females.

Threadfin Fairy Wrasse in the Aquarium.

It is important to imitate the natural environment by providing plenty of nooks and crannies for the wrasse to hide in. Hobbyists should invest in a jump guard to prevent any unfortunate mishaps.

Male Temminckii Fairy Wrasse do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept enriched frozen mysis shrimp and enriched frozen brine shrimp. They will also devour live foods, such as copepods and amphipods, that can be cultivated in attached refugium. Over time they will accept high-quality pellet or flake. We adapt all our wrasse to aquarium life before they leave us. We focus on their health, and most are eating a good quality flake food and/or pellet, such as JBL Maris, before being offered for sale.