Encyclopaedia
Threadfin Wrasse
Cirrhilabrus temminckii
The Threadfin Wrasse is a beautiful, active marine wrasse that serves as the type species for the genus Cirrhilabrus, requiring a covered tank.
- Family
- Labridae
- Origin
- Western Pacific: Sagami Bay, Japan, south to the Philippines and northern Australia.
- Origin
- Tropical oceans and reefsSouth and Southeast AsiaEast AsiaAustralia, New Guinea, and Oceania
- Tank use
- Used in 0 tanks
Share
22 °C - 27 °C
8.1 - 8.4
Marine
Middle
10 cm
Species description
Geographic Origin and Biotope: Western Pacific: Sagami Bay in Japan, south to the Philippines and northern Australia. Commonly found over rubble slopes and reef channels.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Labridae. Serves as the type species for the genus Cirrhilabrus. Grows to a maximum length of 10 cm.
Social Behavior: Active and peaceful. Dominant males lead harems of females. Spends the day swimming in the middle water column searching for food.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Males feature a reddish-orange back, pinkish-white belly, and iridescent blue stripes on the fins and body. Females are less colorful. Protogynous hermaphrodite.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Aquarium Setup: Minimum 200 liters. Requires a spacious swimming area and plenty of live rock with caves to simulate its deep-reef habitat.
Diet and Feeding: Carnivore. Planktivorous feeder. Offer frozen mysis, brine shrimp, krill, and copepods at least twice daily to support high activity levels.
Water Quality: Keep temperature at 22-27°C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025 SG. High oxygen level and efficient filtration are required.
Compatibility and Tankmates: Ideal for peaceful community reefs. Keep with non-aggressive tankmates. Avoid housing multiple males together.
Aquarium Reproduction: Broadcast pelagic spawner. Spawns in open water column. Captive breeding has not been successfully achieved in home aquariums.
Risks and Diseases: High jumping risk; a tight lid or screen cover is mandatory. Susceptible to stress-induced diseases if harassed by tankmates.
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Tank level
- Middle
- Minimum group
- 1
- Adult size
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank volume
- 200 L
- GH
- n/a
- KH
- 8 dKH - 12 dKH
- TDS
- n/a
- Conductivity
- n/a
- Sex ratio
- One male with a group of females (harem)
- Feeding frequency
- Feed 2-3 times daily
- Bioload
- Medium
- Flow
- Moderate
- Jump risk
- Covered tank required
- Reproduction
- Pelagic spawner. Spawning occurs at dusk in the water column. Captive breeding is extremely difficult and rarely documented.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- Peaceful. Males can be aggressive towards other flasher or fairy wrasses. Keep only one male per aquarium. Reef-safe.
Ecological Estimates & Biological Models
- Trophic level
- 3.4 ± 0.45 se
- Resilience
- High (less than 15 months)
- Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50)
- 0.5
- Bayesian Length-Weight
- a = 0.01072, b = 3.03
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Other recommended species with similar care requirements and water parameters.
