Beau's Fairy Wrasse
Cirrhilabrus beauperryi
Endemic to the Western Pacific, this social fairy wrasse shows pronounced sexual dimorphism. It needs a 150L tank, a tight lid to prevent fatal jumps, and a meaty diet to support its active nature.
Température de l’eau
22 - 26 °C
Valeur du pH
8.1 - 8.4
Type d'eau
Marin
Niveau dans le bac
Surface et milieu
Taille adulte
10 cm
Volume minimal du bac
>= 200 L
Groupe minimal
>= 1
Description de l'espèce
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the tropical Western Pacific, primarily found in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It inhabits sheltered lagoons and outer reef slopes at depths ranging from 5 to 30 meters, swimming above staghorn coral beds.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Belongs to the family Labridae and the genus Cirrhilabrus. Features an elongated body typical of fairy wrasses, reaching a maximum adult length of 8 to 12 centimeters. Possesses large, highly mobile eyes to track planktonic prey.
Social Behavior: Peaceful and highly social. Naturally forms large harems containing one dominant male and multiple females. Males perform spectacular flashing courtship displays, intensifying their colors to attract females.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Pronounced sexual dimorphism. Dominant males display a vibrant blue-purple body with yellow-orange hues on the dorsal and anal fins, and iridescent markings. Females and juveniles are reddish-orange with simpler patterns.
Soins, reproduction et cohabitation
Aquarium Setup: An aquarium of at least 150 liters is required. Provide a generous open swimming area and a complex reef structure of live rocks for shelter. A tight-fitting lid is absolutely essential to prevent jumping accidents.
Diet and Feeding: Planktonivorous carnivore. In captivity, they should be fed a varied diet of frozen foods such as mysis, brine shrimp, chopped krill, and copepods. They will also accept high-quality pellets and flakes once settled.
Water Quality: Requires stable marine water parameters: temperature of 23-27 °C, pH of 8.1-8.4, and salinity at 1.020-1.025. Maintain high water quality through efficient protein skimming and regular weekly water changes.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Excellent candidate for reef systems. Completely reef-safe, ignoring corals and sessile invertebrates. Suitable tankmates include other peaceful wrasses, tangs, clownfish, and anthias; avoid aggressive tankmates.
Aquarium Breeding: Breeding in captivity is very rare and challenging. They are pelagic spawners, broadcasting eggs into the open water. Successfully hatching and raising the microscopic larvae requires highly specialized culture conditions.
Risks and Diseases: Highly prone to jumping out of uncovered aquariums, especially when first introduced or when lights turn off. Can contract common marine diseases like Cryptocaryon under stressful conditions; quarantine is recommended.
Origine et répartition géographiques
Native to the tropical Western Pacific, primarily found in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It inhabits sheltered lagoons and outer reef slopes at depths ranging from 5 to 30 meters, swimming above staghorn coral beds.
Origine
Sélection et cultivarsAfrique et MadagascarAustralie, Nouvelle-Guinée et OcéanieOcéans tropicaux et récifsCosmopolite ou introduit
Profil de poisson
- Tempérament
- Peaceful
- Renowned for their wonderfully peaceful and gregarious temperament, they rarely ever bother other species within the aquarium setting. They can sometimes be slightly shy when initially introduced, demanding a peaceful acclimation period away from aggressive bullies. Once fully settled and comfortable, their bold, constantly active, and visually striking swimming patterns bring incredible life to the display tank. Although males may actively flash and chase each other to establish dominance, this behavior is rarely harmful if the tank is sufficiently spacious.
- Régime alimentaire
- Carnivore
- They are quintessential zooplanktivores in the wild, spending their days actively plucking tiny crustaceans and plankton directly from the water currents. In the home aquarium, they eagerly accept a remarkably wide variety of meaty foods, including mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and high-quality marine flakes. Providing a diversified diet enhanced with vitamins and color-enhancing additives is crucial for maintaining their brilliantly intense coloration. They are generally aggressive eaters and will readily learn to feed from the aquarist's hand or an automated feeder.
- Espérance de vie
- 5-8 years
- Taille adulte
- 10 cm
- Ratio des sexes
- Harem
- They are fascinating protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning every single individual is born female and dominant females will naturally transition into males if the social hierarchy dictates. They are exceptionally well-suited to being kept in beautiful harems consisting of one spectacular male and several subordinate females. Keeping multiple males of the precise same species is generally unadvised as it can trigger severe, potentially lethal territorial disputes. Interestingly, the mere presence of multiple females often encourages the lone male to continuously display his most vibrant, terminal-phase colors.
- Fréquence d'alimentation
- Twice daily
- To optimally sustain their high energy levels and rapid metabolism, they require frequent feedings of small portions throughout the day. It is highly recommended to feed them at least two to three times daily with a mix of high-quality frozen and prepared foods. Insufficient feeding frequency can quickly lead to noticeable weight loss and a distressing fading of their normally vibrant colors. Using an automatic feeder to dispense small amounts of pellets during the day can greatly assist in meeting their immense dietary needs.
- Charge biologique
- Low to Medium
- Fairy wrasses contribute a moderate bioload to the aquarium system, primarily due to their highly active swimming nature and correspondingly high metabolic requirements. They consume significant amounts of food daily, which naturally translates into regular waste production. A capable biological filtration setup combined with a highly efficient protein skimmer is highly recommended to process their organic output. Maintaining a strict schedule of regular water changes is essential to keep nitrate and phosphate levels well within acceptable reef parameters.
- Courant
- Strong
- Coming from highly dynamic and energetic reef environments, they strongly prefer moderate to high water flow within the aquarium. Vigorous currents mimic their natural zooplankton-rich habitats and stimulate their natural, elegant swimming behaviors in the open water. Good circulation also ensures the water is highly oxygenated, which is absolutely vital for such active and fast-paced fish. Wavemakers should be utilized to create varied, turbulent flow patterns that prevent stagnant detritus buildup.
- Risque de saut
- Yes
- They possess a profound and well-documented tendency to jump out of the aquarium, especially when frightened, newly introduced, or chased by tank mates. Their incredible swimming speed easily translates into airborne leaps, making them one of the highest jump-risk species available in the hobby. A completely tight-fitting lid, completely enclosed canopy, or perfectly customized mesh screen is a non-negotiable, absolute requirement for keeping them. Even tiny gaps around return pipes or overflow boxes must be secured to prevent a tragic, fatal escape.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- They are pelagic spawners that engage in a stunning, complex, and highly coordinated upward mating dance toward the water's surface at dusk. The male dramatically flashes his most brilliant, iridescent colors to court females before simultaneously releasing gametes into the swift water column. While these breathtaking spawning behaviors are frequently observed in spacious home aquariums, successfully raising the fry is nearly impossible. The microscopic pelagic larvae require incredibly specialized rotifer diets and immense, highly specialized rearing vessels to survive past the first week.
- Compatibilité et compagnons
- Reef safe
- Known for their wonderfully peaceful and completely reef-safe demeanor, they are a phenomenal addition to most community marine aquariums. They generally ignore corals, sessile invertebrates, and ornamental shrimp, focusing their attention entirely on the water column. While highly compatible with a vast array of peaceful tank mates, males of the same or closely related species may exhibit flashy, harmless aggression. Mixing different species of fairy wrasses is often successful if they are introduced simultaneously or into a sufficiently large aquarium.
- Niveau dans le bac
- Top/Middle
- They are intensely active fish that predominantly inhabit the middle and upper levels of the aquarium's open water column. They are almost constantly in motion, gracefully weaving through the water as they scan for floating morsels of zooplankton. When night falls or when severely frightened, they will rapidly retreat downward to spin a protective, transparent mucus cocoon in the rockwork crevices. Providing ample, unobstructed swimming space above the aquascape is absolutely critical for their physical health and behavioral wellbeing.
Modèles et paramètres scientifiques
FishBase
Fenêtre sur les données scientifiques officielles de l’espèce
FishBase v25.04Données synchronisées le : 15/06/2026
- Niveau trophique
- 3,4 ± 0,4 se
- Résilience
- Élevée (moins de 15 mois)
- Singularité phylogénétique (PD50)
- 0.5
- Relation bayésienne longueur-poids
- a = 0.01072, b = 3.03
- VulnérabilitéVulnérabilité faible (10 / 100)
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