Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the Western Pacific coral reefs, ranging from the Philippines to Taiwan. Inhabits coral-rich slopes and outer reef edges at depths of 15 to 45 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Belongs to the family Labridae, genus Paracheilinus. Reaches a maximum size of 8 cm (3.1 inches). Males feature prolonged filaments on the dorsal fin.

Social Behavior: Peaceful and social. Naturally lives in loose aggregations dominated by a single male. Sleeps in a protective mucous cocoon in rock crevices at night.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Males display bright orange-red bodies with blue horizontal stripes, a yellow dorsal fin with red filaments, and red anal fins. Females are smaller and mostly uniform pinkish-orange.

Aquarium Setup: Requires a tank of at least 120 liters with plenty of live rock for hiding and open water for swimming. A tight-fitting lid or mesh net is mandatory to prevent jumps.

Diet and Feeding: Planktivorous. Provide small frozen foods like mysis, brine shrimp, and copepods, as well as high-quality small pellets or flake food multiple times daily.

Water Quality: Requires stable marine parameters: temperature 24-26°C (75-79°F), pH 8.1-8.4, specific gravity 1.022-1.025, GH 15-25, and KH 8-12.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Completely reef-safe. Peaceful community fish. Keeping one male with multiple females is highly recommended to see flashing behavior. Avoid aggressive tankmates.

Aquarium Breeding: Extremely rare in home aquaria. Spawning occurs in the water column after intense male flashing and swimming loops. Rearing larvae requires specialized live food cultures.

Risks and Diseases: High jumping risk, especially when startled by sudden lights or aggressive tankmates. Susceptible to marine ich if stressed.