Pink-lined Flasher Wrasse
Paracheilinus piscilineatus
The Mauritius Flasher Wrasse is an uncommon, colorful fish featuring bright pink stripes and spectacular male displays. It needs a 120L reef tank, a tight lid to prevent jumping, and a varied planktonic diet.
Water Temperature
22 - 26 °C
pH Value
8.1 - 8.4
Water type
Marine
Tank level
Surface and middle
Adult size
7 cm
Minimum tank volume
>= 120 L
Minimum group
>= 1
KH
8 - 12 dKH
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: This species is native to the Indo-West Pacific, specifically recorded from Mauritius and surrounding areas of the western Indian Ocean. It inhabits deep outer seaward reefs, rubble slopes, and lagoons subject to strong currents, typically at depths of 20 to 55 meters.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Belonging to the family Labridae and the genus Paracheilinus. It exhibits a slender, compressed body profile. Adult males develop elongated, thread-like filaments on their dorsal fin. The maximum adult length is approximately 7 to 8 cm.
Social Behavior: Active, peaceful, and social. It forms small harems consisting of one dominant male and a group of females. The males show a spectacular courtship behavior where they rapidly flash neon pink and blue lines while flaring their large, fan-like fins to attract mates.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Pronounced sexual dichromatism. Females are reddish-orange with faint horizontal lines. Terminal males feature a red to orange body with brilliant longitudinal pink and blue stripes, and a dorsal fin with orange coloration edged in yellow and electric blue.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Aquarium Setup: A minimum tank size of 120 liters (32 gallons) is recommended. The setup should provide a large open swimming area and plenty of live rock with caves for shelter. A tight-fitting lid or fine mesh screen is absolutely necessary to prevent the fish from jumping out.
Diet and Feeding: Planktivorous. Requires feeding 2 to 3 times daily with small, meaty foods such as mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, copepods, and fish eggs. It will also accept high-quality marine flakes and micro-pellets. Feed foods containing carotenoids to maintain their pink stripes.
Water Quality: Maintain stable marine parameters: temperature 23-26°C (73-79°F), pH 8.1-8.4, specific gravity 1.020-1.025, and KH 8-12. Good water flow and high dissolved oxygen levels are required, alongside a strong protein skimmer to control organic waste accumulation.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Reef-safe and peaceful, making it an excellent addition to community reef aquariums. Can be kept in a harem (one male with several females, introduced together). Avoid housing with aggressive species like large dottybacks, hawkfish, or territorial damselfishes.
Aquarium Breeding: Spawning in captivity is exceptionally rare. They are pelagic spawners, releasing gametes into the water column during twilight hours. Raising the planktonic larvae is difficult, requiring specialized live food cultures (rotifers, copepods) and precise water control.
Risks and Diseases: Primary risk is jumping from uncovered tanks. Susceptible to marine ich (Cryptocaryon) if stressed by aggressive tankmates or poor water parameters. Drip acclimation under low lighting is recommended to ease the transition into the aquarium.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
This species is native to the Indo-West Pacific, specifically recorded from Mauritius and surrounding areas of the western Indian Ocean. It inhabits deep outer seaward reefs, rubble slopes, and lagoons subject to strong currents, typically at depths of 20 to 55 meters.
Origin
Tropical oceans and reefsAfrica and MadagascarSouth and Southeast Asia
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- The Paracheilinus piscilineatus has a timid and entirely peaceful temperament. They are easily bullied by more assertive fish, which can cause them to remain hidden and refuse food. When housed with appropriate peaceful companions, they become active and highly entertaining.
- Diet
- Carnivore
- In nature, Paracheilinus piscilineatus feed predominantly on zooplankton drifting in the water column above the reef. Captive specimens require a varied carnivore diet consisting of enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and finely chopped seafood. High-quality marine flake and pellet foods are usually accepted readily.
- Life expectancy
- 3-5 years
- In a well-managed aquarium, the Pink-lined Flasher Wrasse typically lives for 3 to 5 years under optimal care. Their lifespan is maximized by providing a stress-free environment, excellent water quality, and a diverse, high-protein diet. Because they are skilled jumpers, a tightly fitting cover or mesh lid is absolutely mandatory to prevent them from jumping out.
- Adult size
- 7 cm
- The catalog's scalar value is 7 cm. The FishBase SPECIES table (v25.04 snapshot) source reports a maximum adult measurement of 5.65 cm for this species, recorded as standard length (SL). The taxonomic record consulted is Paracheilinus piscilineatus (v25.04); male or unsexed record. These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
- Sex ratio
- Flexible
- Keeping a single male with multiple females allows the male to display his spectacular mating colors naturally. Multiple males of the same or similar species should not be kept together as they will fight relentlessly. Introduce all females either simultaneously or prior to the dominant male.
- Feeding frequency
- Twice daily
- Due to their rapid digestion and constant activity, these wrasses should be fed small quantities at least two to three times daily. Providing multiple small meals ensures they maintain a healthy body weight and strong immune system. Infrequent feeding can lead to gradual starvation and lethargy.
- Bioload
- Flasher wrasses such as Paracheilinus piscilineatus possess a relatively low to moderate bioload footprint in the marine aquarium. They are small and metabolically active, generating waste primarily proportional to their required frequent feedings. Proper mechanical filtration and protein skimming easily manage their output.
- Flow
- Strong
- They appreciate moderate to high water flow within the aquarium environment. Dynamic flow patterns simulate the turbulent reef drop-offs they originate from and encourage natural swimming behaviors. A strong current also aids in keeping their zooplankton-like foods suspended longer.
- Jump risk
- Yes
- The jumping capability of Paracheilinus piscilineatus is legendary among aquarists; they will readily leap from open-top tanks. It is absolutely essential to secure the aquarium with a tightly fitting mesh lid or glass canopy. Ensuring there are no gaps near overflow boxes or equipment cords will prevent tragic losses.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- Flasher wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, changing sex from female to male based on social hierarchy. Successful captive breeding is undocumented due to their pelagic spawning habits and microscopic larvae. Males are famous for their rapid, dramatic color flashes during evening courtship rituals.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- Community
- They are incredibly peaceful and make stellar additions to the community reef tank. They pose zero threat to corals or ornamental invertebrates, making them completely reef safe. However, they can easily be intimidated by larger, more aggressive tank mates like tangs or large angels.
- Tank level
- Top/Middle
- They primarily occupy the middle and upper levels of the water column, darting about in search of food particles. Despite their open-water swimming, they remain close to the reef structure for safety. When frightened or resting at night, they dive directly into small rockwork crevices or mucus cocoons.
Scientific Parameters & Models
FishBase
Window to the official scientific data of the species
Data synced on: 06/15/2026
- Trophic level
- 3.4 ± 0.4 se
- Resilience
- High (less than 15 months)
- Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50)
- 0.5
- Bayesian Length-Weight
- a = 0.01072, b = 3.03
- VulnerabilityLow vulnerability (10 / 100)
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
