Flasher Wrasse Photo Library & ShowOff Thread...

[detguy123]

Ok so i decided to do a photo library on the wrasses in the Genus Paracheilinus also known as flasher wrasses. The wrasses are easy to keep and are reef safe just make sure you have a tight top becasue the little guys will jump! They will eat most foods and are fun to watch flashing to females or at other males in the tank. There are a tons of different common names for these fish and there are a few that get mislabeld quite often so hopefully this will help id one if you are not sure what type of flasher it is. I have pics of alot of these but there are a few that i do need better pics of. I need pics of the following a Filamented (flashing), Blue Flasher (flashing) and a Royal Flasher or Angulated Flasher. Please send all pics by message to me and how you want it credited. Lets get this thread going!!!

 

[detguy123]

Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse -- Paracheilinus Carpenteri


*** Location: West Pacific- Philippines to southern Japan
*** Size: Just over 3"
*** Color: Males have a red orange color with some being more yellow with blue lines on thier body on the anal fin it is mostly red on the outer part with yellow..when courting or flashing the colors will intisify and the caudal fin (or tail fin) will turn very dark almost black..the dorsal fin will have 2-4 filaments and will turn bright red when courting
*** Females: They are a light orange and yellow with faint lines on the body and lack the filaments on the dorsal fin
*** Price: pretty cheap and very common

 

[detguy123]

McCosker's Flasher Wrasse -- Paracheilinus mccoskeri


***Location: Indian Ocean in a range from Sumatra in the east to Africa
***Size: A little over 2.5 inches
***Color: A orange color with some yellow tints, blue lines down the body, and one filament on the dorsal fin. The anal fin is red on the outer part with yellow on the inner part. The cadual fin is a light color and stays like that when dispalying.
***Females are very light in color when compared to the male and are much smaller. Females also lack a filament.
***Price: They are fairly cheap thought they do go for a little more than a Carpenter's

Photo taken Rickyrooz

 

[detguy123]

Yellow-Fin Flasher Wrasse -- Paracheilinus flavianalis


***Location: Indonesia and Western Australia
***Size: A little over 3.25 inches
***Color: Ornage/yellow body with light blue lines. The dorsal fin is yellow with 1-4 filaments. The fialments are also red.The anal fin is all yellow (hence the common name) and th cadual fin is a light yellow color but will darken some when flashing.
***Females: Females are all orange with very faint lines and are very drab looking.
a young male
***Price: Fairly common and cheap

Picture by Nick Suggs

Picture by Hiryoyuki Tanaka

 

[detguy123]

The three past flasher wrasses seem to get mislabled quite often but are very easy to tell the three apart.
P. Carpenteri has 2-4 Filaments and has red on the outer part of the anal fin
P. McCoskeri has 1 filament and has red on the outer part of the anal fin
P. Flavianalis has 1-4 filaments and its anal fin is all yellow.

 

[Rickyrooz]

Don't forget the Eightline Flasher Wrasse
Paracheilinus octotaenia

 

[detguy123]

this is far from being done i have many more to do

 

[detguy123]

Line-Spot Flasher Wrasse -- Paracheilinus Lineopunctatus


***Location: Known to be in Indonesia and the Philippines
***Size: Reaches up to 2.75 inches
***Color: A purple/pink body with some orange color with spots that are in lines on its side. It sometimes has a greenish tint on its back and dorsal fin also its dorsal has multiple filaments. This fish is sometimes confused with the Blue flasher as the do look alike but the Line-spot has a rounded caudal fin and the Blue Flasher has a lunate caudal fin with filaments. This fish turns bright red when flashing and it has splashes of white and blue on its body. The filaments turn yellow and sometimes pink with a blue green streak running down the base of the dorsal fin.
***Females: The same has most other females of the flasher wrasses it is very drap version of the male and alot smaller..looks alot like a female Carpenter's
***Price: This fish is not seen as much and commands a little higher price than a Filamented or Carpenters but still not expensive

Photos by Nick Suggs

 

[detguy123]

Filamented Flasher Wrasse -- Paracheilinus Filamentosus


***Location: Widespread throughout Indonesia, The Solomon Islands, Northern GBR, and PNG.
***Size: Almost 4 inches
***Color: A non excited male is a orange color with white belly. It also has dark colored lines down its body with a redish orange anal fin. There are some variations in this fish depending on location. This is due to similar species in the areas. The most colorful males are where other similar flashers are in the area. A flashing male will have bright yellows, blues, and reds in the dorsal fins and the body can be in any color from blue/purple and red to yellow and orange and blue. The caudal fin on this fish has long filaments and is lunate.
***Females: Orange in color and the lines are harder to see on body and are much smaller
***Price: Probally the cheapest of the group and the most commonly sold flasher out there
a young male

Photos by Nick Suggs

 

[detguy123]

Eight-line Flasher Wrasse -- Paracheilinus Octotaenia


***Location: This flasher is found only in the Red Sea sometimes called the Red Sea flasher
***Size: Has been seen to reach 4.75 inches the largest of the flasher wrasses
***Color: Non excited males are orange/peach color with blue lines running down the body the dorsal and anal fins are a light purple/red color. When courting females or fighting the male's color will change to a yellow with green tints on the head and changes into pink, purple, and orange down the body the blue lines intisfy in color and the fins turn bright red and purple. The shape is different from most flashers and it has no filaments.
***Females: Females are a light pink color and have a white color to thier underside and the lines are alot lighter. The fins are very light colored as well.
***Price: These command a very high price and are very hard to come by so when you have a chance jump on them right a way or you will mis out. They can also be a little aggressive at times but nothing to worry about. This is on of my favorite wrasses!!!!!
a young female

male

flashing male

first two pics by Nick Suggs
Last pic by RickyRooz thanks

 

[eddy]

nice fish

 

[detguy123]

Diamond Tail Flasher Wrasse -- Paracheilinus Attenuatus


***Location: This flasher is only found off of Kenya and Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It is a deepwater flasher around rubble slopes.
***Size: It is a smaller species reaching a length to almsot 3".
***Color: A non excited male has some colors like the Mccoskeri and Rubricaudalis, which are a yellow orange body with blue/purple lines going down the sides. The dorsal and anal fins have red and yellow in them with blue/purple spots and lines on them. Males also have a thread like filament that is located about halfway down the dorsal fin. The cadual fin is a light orange color and turns bright red when flashing. The colors get very bright when flashing. The caudal fin is rhomboid shape, hence its common name diamon tail.
***Females: Females are alot smaller and are mostly orange/pink in color. The dorsal, cadual, and anal fins are almost clear and the lines going down the body are more of a white/blue color. They also lack the fiament.
***Price: They command a high price are not seen in the market that much. They are showing up a little more often now, though i have not seen any females enter the trade.
First two pics are males and the third is a female

First two pictures are by Brad Syphus Thanks Brad
The third picture is by H. Tanaka Thanks Hiroyuki

 

[Brad Syphus]

I've now had him for over 6 months now and he has grown quite a bit.

 

[Rickyrooz]

Beautiful fish Brad. Did you purchase him from the Diver's Den?

 

[Brad Syphus]

I did. About 6 months ago. I know Marvin picked one up also.

 

[MarvinsReef]

I've now had him for over 6 months now and he has grown quite a bit.

awesome pic Brad.. is this right after morning lights turn on? my Attenuatus mostly flash when the first 2 Blue+ turn on... I need to find her some ladies... what other flashers do you have in the tank?

 

[Brad Syphus]

Thanks Marvin. Actually it's after my M/H turn off leaving just my T-5's on. So mine is at night where yours sound like in the am.
I also have 3 Mckosker males. I need to get rid of my Conde fairy. He harrasses my attenuatus all the time.

 

[MarvinsReef]

Thanks Marvin. Actually it's after my M/H turn off leaving just my T-5's on. So mine is at night where yours sound like in the am.
I also have 3 Mckosker males. I need to get rid of my Conde fairy. He harrasses my attenuatus all the time.

the Attenuatus used to flash all the time after the main T5's turn off also but now the stinkin' Hooded chases him so he can only strut his stuff in the am... LoL... if the Hooded wasn't so nice, I would've tried to catch him...

I plan on adding a few different flasher males when I find the right sizes... hopefully, this will divert some of the attention off the Attenuatus...

 

[RZ5T]

I want to get a McKoskers, Diamond Tail, and an Eight line. I've had no experience with multiple flashers. From your experience will they do alright in a 40 breeder?

 

[SaraB]

Here's my male attenuatus: