Jin, since you're bored, tell me about this wrasse

[linda lee]

When in doubt, ask the ARC Wrasse Expert, right?

I saw it @ Cap Bay yesterday, and can't find anything specific about it online.

They call this guy a *Clown Head Wrasse*. His head is bright orange with blue spots. His body is dark blue with a lighter blue dorsal fin. He has a white vertical stripe separating his black tail from the rest of his body. Body shape is the same as a Christmas Wrasse or a Lunare Wrasse.

I can find reference to a Clown Wrasse, but not a Clown Head Wrasse. The pictures I see of the Clown Wrasse don't look the same as the fish I saw.

Got a feeling this guy might have similar traits as the Dragon and Twin-Spot, but if he's not a big rock mover or grows to 2 feet long, he'd be a great addition to Loren's 125g

 

[FutureInterest]

Well it sounds like it might be a Halichoeres rubricephalus? As solid as your description is its hard to identify with my crappy imagination. If you take a picture I'm sure I can identify it for you. As for clown wrasses, there is a clown wrasse in the same family as the christmas wrasse... but its coloration doesn't look much like your description. There is C. Solorensis wrasse that is sometimes called a clown fairy wrasse... It does have a red/orange head with a blue body like your description. However, it doesn't have a xmas wrasse body type though.

Sorry I couldn't be of much help. Get me a pic!

 

[tnyga]

Jin...I thought you were better than this heheheheh

 

[linda lee]

He looks very much like the wrasse on this http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WrassePix/Anampses/Male%2520psyche%2520head%2520wrasse%2520Old%2520Airport3.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algfiltfaq2.htm&h=218&w=300&sz=23&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=0jsy9CO7HR_faM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dclown%2Bhead%2Bwrasse%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLG,GGLG:2005-31,GGLG:en%26sa%3DN">Wet Web Media</a> page. But although this picture is on the WWM page, the page is about Algal Filtration and the wrasse isn't identified.

[IMG]http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WrassePix/Anampses/Male%20psyche%20head%20wrasse%20Old%20Airport3.JPG" alt="" />

with these differences:

1) I don't remember there being spots on the body, but maybe the picture above is of a juvenile; perhaps the spots on the body fade as the fish ages.

2) The spots on the head of the wrasse at Cap Bay are a vivid blue, not white. Again, maybe the difference between a juvie and an adult.

Definitely not a clown fairy. I know what those look like.

 

[victor626nj]

is this it

 

[linda lee]

Found it.

 

[linda lee]

Victor626nj;141654 wrote: is this it http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=01-4145">http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=01-4145</a>[/QUOTE]

That's the female

 

[victor626nj]

so get him the pair

 

[tnyga]

Linda Lee;141652 wrote: He looks very much like the wrasse on this http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WrassePix/Anampses/Male%2520psyche%2520head%2520wrasse%2520Old%2520Airport3.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algfiltfaq2.htm&h=218&w=300&sz=23&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=0jsy9CO7HR_faM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dclown%2Bhead%2Bwrasse%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLG,GGLG:2005-31,GGLG:en%26sa%3DN">Wet Web Media</a> page. But although this picture is on the WWM page, the page is about Algal Filtration and the wrasse isn't identified.

[IMG]http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WrassePix/Anampses/Male%20psyche%20head%20wrasse%20Old%20Airport3.JPG" alt="" />

with these differences:

1) I don't remember there being spots on the body, but maybe the picture above is of a juvenile; perhaps the spots on the body fade as the fish ages.

2) The spots on the head of the wrasse at Cap Bay are a vivid blue, not white. Again, maybe the difference between a juvie and an adult.

Definitely not a clown fairy. I know what those look like.[/QUOTE]

Thats a sweet looking fish

 

[FutureInterest]

Come on Russ give me a break! Do you know how many wrasses there are out there? It's the second most diverse group of fish. I know the reef-safe ones very well, and most of the commonly imported ones. Granted I don't know the Anampses wrasses very well as I dismissed them from consideration for my tank due to their reputation for being very frail... They are some of the most beautiful in the hobby and are worth a shot if you can find a healthy specimen though. G'luck Linda! Nice job identifying it!

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Anampses (tamarin) wrasses are really difficult to keep. They rarely take prepared food, so it is kinda like the manadrin dileemma, eexcept these will grow about 5X bigger than mandarins, so need about 5X as much food. I vote to leave it unless you have a giant tank with a lot of established live rock.

 

[cameron]

Dots are soooo last year anyway.