Filamented Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus filamentosus) Care Guide
Cirrhilabrus filamentosus is an Indo-Pacific fairy wrasse, with males bearing an elongated filamentous dorsal fin.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Cirrhilabrus filamentosus is a fairy wrasse of the family Labridae, native to coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. The genus Cirrhilabrus is brightly coloured and does not exceed about 16 cm; males are larger and more colourful than females (Wikipedia).
Taxonomy
- Family: Labridae
- Genus: Cirrhilabrus
- Scientific name: Cirrhilabrus filamentosus
Habitat
The genus Cirrhilabrus is native to coral reefs and nearby habitats across the Indo-Pacific region (Wikipedia). This species is recorded from the Indo-Pacific in the maintained knowledge base.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 300 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Lifespan: 4-8 years
- Substrate: sand
Diet
Cirrhilabrus filamentosus is a carnivore. As with other fairy wrasses it takes small meaty foods; it is fed about twice daily according to the maintained care record.
Compatibility
This is a peaceful, active, middle-water wrasse considered reef-safe. Suitable companions include clownfish, tangs, anthias and gobies, while aggressive damsels and triggerfish are best avoided.
Breeding the Filamented Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus filamentosus)
Overview
Cirrhilabrus filamentosus (Klausewitz, 1976) is a Labridae fairy wrasse known from the Western Pacific around Indonesia, recorded at depths of about 10 to 35 m on deep coastal slopes (FishBase). It grows to roughly 8 cm total length, and mature males carry the elongated dorsal filaments that give the species its name. Reproduction follows the fairy-wrasse pattern of sex change, brief courtship display and spawning into open water.
Sexing
The species is a protogynous sequential hermaphrodite, so individuals begin life as females and the dominant female of a group later changes into a functional male (Reef Builders). Terminal males are larger, more colourful and, distinctively, develop drawn-out dorsal filaments, while females and juveniles remain comparatively plain. FishBase notes the species is typically found as small groups of juveniles, females and a single large male, which mirrors this social structure.
Conditioning
As a zooplankton feeder over deep slopes, the species would only reach reproductive condition on a varied diet of small meaty marine foods offered several times a day. No captive conditioning protocol has been established because the fish is not bred in aquaria; the practical takeaway is that consistent feeding and a stable mature system are what keep terminal males in active display in the wild and in captivity.
Breeding Setup
In nature the species reproduces in haremic groups led by one terminal male. No documented home setup produces fry, because the eggs are released into the water column and are normally lost to filtration or predation before they can be collected. Any aquarium attempt would have to solve egg capture and larval rearing simultaneously, which has not been achieved at the hobby level.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Males of this species can switch from normal to full nuptial colour in seconds and back again (FishBase), flaring their fins and swimming in rapid bursts to court females and challenge rival males; the heightened metallic colour lasts only moments at a time (Reef Builders). Spawning is a brief paired ascent into open water, usually toward dusk, when gametes are released together rather than deposited on a substrate.
Egg & Fry Care
The buoyant pelagic eggs receive no parental care and hatch into minuscule larvae that drift with the plankton and feed on very small zooplankton. Raising them demands dense live-food cultures and dedicated larval tanks, so fairy-wrasse fry are essentially unreared in home aquaria and have only been produced occasionally in specialist work.
Common Challenges
The limiting factors are the tiny pelagic eggs lost to filtration and predation, larvae that need foods finer than standard rotifers, and the need to first form a stable male-led harem. As a result this remains a wild-collected reef fish, and a realistic aquarium objective is a healthy display group rather than reproduction.