Flasher Wrasses

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

These are shots of the same male in exciting moment (upper) and displaying (lower).

When it is displaying the body and fins change from orange to intense red.
The filaments and part of D-fin turn white and also stripes on side became bluish and more conspicuous. I hope you to understand why I think that it's parents are angulatus and lineopunctatus.

Species of Paracheilinus and Cirrhilabrus will choose evening to night to behave for reproduction, because enemies are not easy to find the eggs or sperm. Probably predators would attack them in the daytime more than dark evening. Several different species exist in Indonesia and so many harems of different species will reproduce at the same time. Then some eggs and sperms will mix and natural hybridisation will occur.

I was keeping several unusual specimens of Paracheilinus until now, most of them were possible hybrids.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

One of the mysteriuos individuals, male, 7cm, probably from Indonesia.

It has a yellow anal fin with a small area of red, and four filaments on D-fin. The caudal fin is rounded, not pointed, so I suspect that it is a hybrid of Paracheilinus carpenteri and P. flavianalis, but I am no so sure.

These two species cooccur in the northern Indonesia, around north of Sulawesi. P. carpenteri is common in the Philippines to southern Japan, and probably very rare to scarce in Indonesia. In Indonesia it has once been photographed in Bali (a male by a Japanese diver), but this may have been an aquarium release.

The close relative P. mccoskeri is fairly common in northern Sumatra in Indonesia, but it does not co-occur with P. carpenteri in any range.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This young male is a possible hybrid cross between Paracheilinus carpenteri and P. flavianalis. It is 5cm long, and has no filaments, but it seems to have a wound on D-fin.

 

[shane 1111]

i think i got a small female P. mccoskeri will she become a male? i think i see a small spike on the fin starting.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Yes, she would become a male while you are keeping for some time, but I think that it may take a year or so. If you keep with other small females it might be shorter, but it will take place even when kept alone.

Choose a larger tank if you are OK, at least a tank size of 100x40x40 cm. Feed it at least twice a day, and include various types of foods. No need to prepare a reef tank, but you should have many crevices and open space for free swimming.

Females cannot change to males over a night; the coloration and shape will change gradually, not day by day but month by month.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This is a young male, 4cm of Paracheilinus mccoskeri. The filament of D-fin is still shorter and developing. It became longer but it took some half of year.

 

[shane 1111]

this is the FW but i cant get a pic of its fin up

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Dear sahne 1111,

Your photo is not bad, and you can take better shots in the near future.

I will use a one-lens camera with a close-up lens to photograph them, and also negative films. I have no digial one. I do not use auto-focus apparatus and always keep focusing on the fish to take photos anytime. When it spreads fins I take. It needs patience and time to wait for the moment, but yours is almost nice.

Here are shots of the species, different specimens, in display. I took photos four to five years ago and these were the best of each of that time; most were out-of-focus.

 

[shane 1111]

wow
i have only seen it desplay its fin once

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

I am keeping them in a small aquarium so I can get photos easier. After photographing I will release them into a larger display tank. My photo tank is surrounded by black (curtain or board that does not reflec flash light).

Your tank seems larger, but it is well decorated.

 

[shane 1111]

thanks. it is a 50 gallon= 36" L, 18" T, 18"w
but my fish are not as nice as yours

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

I hope you to get male specimens that will display so often, or it will become larger as soon as possible. Specimens tend to grow fast and get a larger size while being kept in a larger tank.

Paracheilinus spp. will 'stand' in a tank and keep motionless for awhile (see photo), and it is one of the best chances to photograph.

 

[Anonymous]

Absolutely beautiful shot!!!!!

I know I've seen it before, but what species is the Cirrhilabrus in the background in this picture?

 

[shane 1111]

if i get another female will my curent one turn into a male?

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Yes, it may happen but I am not sure. It will depend upon environment; tank size, mates, etc. A female could turn male even if kept alone.

Here are shots of Cirrhilabrus lubbocki, males in two distinct colorations. This species ranges Palau, the Philippines, Indonesia, and eastern Malaysia. A few specimens were collected in the Ryukyu Islands. Males from the Philippines mainly have two purple stripes on side but those from Indonesia lack the stripes.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This a hybrid Paracheilinus, male, 8cm from Indonesia.

It is similar in shape to Paracheilinus filamentosus but has a completely yellow anal fin with blue spots (the fin is damaged partly). When you hide all the fins and see center of body it is almost P. flavianalis.

There are several outstanding blue spots centrally on dorsal fin that are seen in P. mccoskeri- P. flavianalis- P. carpenteri and relatives.

The shape of caudal fin is almost that of P. filamentosus, and then specimen seems a hybrid between P. filamentosus x P. flavianalis, or (P. filamentosus x P. flavianalis) x P. filamentosus.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Again, I show Paracheilinus cyaneus, two males, 55mm, that I recently got. They were collected in Sulawesi, central eastern Indonesia. It reaches 9-10 cm in total length, but most specimens available are around 6-7 cm. Number of filaments is 7 to 8, but rare specimens possess 9.

Top; Ready to flash; purplish body, still red filaments

Middle; Almost flashing; yellowish filaments

Bottom; Displaying; deep red body, snow white filaments and blue on
back and around head

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This is a hybrid between Paracheilinus angulatus and lineopunctatus, male 6cm probably from northern Indonesia.

It has sharply pointed dorsal and anal fins, and also several filaments on D fin.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

It is an ultimate coloration of Paracheilinus cyaneus, Blue Flasher, male in display. Unfortunately it is out-of-focus because of its very quick motion.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

It is a male Paracheilinus attenuatus from Kenya. 65mm SL, some 80mm TL. Aquarium shot by Takeshi Aoki in Tokyo.

It was described by John Randall and he used Seychelles specimens but just prior to his publication I reeived the photo from Aoki and Jack added the specimen as a paratype.

It is close to P. mccoskeri from the Indian Ocean, but P. attenuatus has a rhomboid caudal fin. Also it has a wide red blotch on dorsal fin.

This species will only rarely be imported from Kenya, some one or two specimens a year.

I hope to get more photos of the species, and could somebody inform me if he is keeping?