Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse

Lubbock's fairy wrasse is one of the species of the genus Cirrhilabrus that stay small, growing to at most 8 cm. Its color varies from individual to individual: it can be pink, bright red or purple; in adults the dorsal fin is usually bright yellow. In the wild it picks plankton in large groups on the outer reefs of the Philippines and Sulawesi, above fine branching corals and coral rubble, usually at 20–25 meters. Specimens are wild-collected. Thanks to its small size it is a fairy wrasse well suited to medium-sized reef aquariums.

• At least 150 liters for a small harem; open swimming space above.
• Salinity specific gravity 1.023–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Rock crevices where it can sleep in a mucus cocoon at night; a lid is essential.
• Reef-safe: It leaves corals and invertebrates alone.

Carnivorous; it picks plankton. Offer frozen mysis, brine shrimp, copepods, fish roe and small granule foods in small amounts 2–3 times a day.

Peaceful and active. Males display at and chase males of their own species; in a large aquarium it gets along with differently colored fairy and flasher wrasses.

Good companions: Anthias, flasher wrasses, dwarf angelfish, clownfish, gobies, cardinalfish.

Avoid: Lionfish, groupers, dottybacks, large hogfish, a second male of the same species.