Bronze Fairy Wrasse
Cirrhilabrus brunneus
This dark bronze deep-water wrasse features striking metallic highlights. It thrives in a 150L mature reef with caves, requiring pristine water, a meaty diet, and a secure lid to prevent jumping.
Température de l’eau
22 - 26 °C
Valeur du pH
8.1 - 8.4
Type d'eau
Marin
Niveau dans le bac
Milieu
Taille adulte
7 cm
Volume minimal du bac
>= 120 L
Groupe minimal
>= 1
Description de l'espèce
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Tropical Western Pacific: primarily distributed in Indonesia, specifically within the Celebes Sea and off the reefs of northeastern Borneo. It inhabits deep outer seaward reefs, deep lagoons, and sandy slopes at depths typically ranging between 15 and 40 meters, where the water is clear and light levels are naturally subdued.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Belongs to the family Labridae and the genus Cirrhilabrus. It features a slender, elongated, and highly streamlined body shape typical of active open-water wrasses, with large, prominent eyes adapted for vision in deep habitats. Adult specimens reach a maximum length of approximately 7.0 centimeters.
Social Behavior: An active, peaceful, and lively swimmer that spends its time in the mid-water column. In the wild, it is gregarious, forming small harems consisting of a single dominant male and several females. It displays no aggression toward other reef species, though males are highly territorial towards other male fairy wrasses.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Characterized by a unique dark brownish-bronze body coloration, which is highly unusual for the Cirrhilabrus genus. Adult males display stunning metallic purple and electric blue highlights on their fins and head, which intensify during courtship displays. Females are smaller, with simpler reddish or orange color tones.
Soins, reproduction et cohabitation
Aquarium Setup: Requires a mature reef aquarium of at least 120-150 liters, furnished with plenty of live rock arranged to create numerous caves, tunnels, and secure hiding spaces. A tight-fitting lid or screen cover is strictly mandatory, as this species is a notorious jumper when startled or during acclimation.
Diet and Feeding: In the wild, it is a specialist zooplanktivore. In captivity, it should be fed small portions multiple times a day with high-quality frozen foods such as mysis, brine shrimp, copepods, and lobster eggs. It will also readily accept small, high-quality marine dry pellets and vitamin-enriched flakes.
Water Quality: Demands stable marine parameters and efficient filtration. The water temperature should be maintained between 22°C and 26°C, pH between 8.1 and 8.4, and specific gravity (SG) constant between 1.020 and 1.025. Nitrates and phosphates should be kept at minimal levels to ensure health.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: 100% reef-safe and compatible with most peaceful community fish. Avoid housing with large, highly aggressive, or fast-swimming territorial tankmates such as large surgeonfish or aggressive wrasses, which may intimidate this species and prevent it from feeding properly.
Aquarium Breeding: A protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning females can transition into males in the absence of a dominant male in the group. Spawning in home aquariums is extremely difficult and undocumented due to the pelagic nature of their eggs and the complex nutritional requirements of the larval stage.
Risks and Diseases: The primary risk is jumping out of uncovered tanks. It is sensitive to skin parasites such as marine ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) and marine velvet (Oodinium) if stressed by poor water quality, transportation, or aggressive tankmates. Quarantine is highly recommended.
Origine et répartition géographiques
Tropical Western Pacific: primarily distributed in Indonesia, specifically within the Celebes Sea and off the reefs of northeastern Borneo. It inhabits deep outer seaward reefs, deep lagoons, and sandy slopes at depths typically ranging between 15 and 40 meters, where the water is clear and light levels are naturally subdued.
Origine
Océans tropicaux et récifsAsie du Sud et du Sud-Est
Profil de poisson
- Tempérament
- Active
- 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
- 7 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
- 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
- Peaceful
- 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
- 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
- 3,2 ± 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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