
photo via: sareefkeeping.com

photo: Ron Hessing via incredibleaquarium.com

photo via: nano-reef.com

photo via: manhattanreefs.com
Habitat: Western Central Pacific.
Status: Least Concern
This funky, psychedelic fish is Labout’s Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus laboutei) which is highly prized in the aquarium trade for its incredible colors and markings. The fish grows to about 1.5-2.5 in length and feeds on plankton.
This is no cheap fish to keep, either! I’ve seen a Labout’s Fairy Wrasse sell for as much as $250.00!
Both the male and the female possess similar markings but during mating season the male’s colors will intensify. I couldn’t find much “natural” info on this fish, just more to do about it being kept in an aquarium environment… which doesn’t really interest me too much. I prefer to learn about its natural habits rather than what it does when confined to a tank but hey, that’s just me.
If you’d like to learn more about its requirements in an aquarium, you can head over to LiveAquaria.com.