We’ve posted plenty of aberrant butterflies, angels and tangs but have you ever  wondered why we’ve not been posting any aberrant fairy wrasses? For some strange  reason, major aberrations seem to be pretty rare and nearly unheard of in  the Cirrhilabrus genus. The aberrant C. luteovittatus posted above and left is one of the  few that we’ve seen. C. luteovittatus is commonly offered for the trade and is collected  from the Marshall Islands.

What sets these two specimens apart from the norm is the  unusual amount of yellow it has. Normally, this fish is a deep velvety purple with a  single yellow stripe that runs down the middle of the body. The two aberrant  individuals here sport the yellow coloration all over the body and have completely over  taken the purple coloration that it normally dons. It bears a striking, almost perfect  resemblance to Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis. Pretty interesting don’t you think?