Awesome Fish Spotlight: Cirrhilabrus earlei

Cirrhilabrus earlei is a fairly new fairy wrasse to enter the trade in recent years. Collection of this species from the Marshall islands has increased the availability of this fish ten fold since its original discovery in Palau. While it…

Cirrhilabrus earlei video while flashing is quite a sight to behold

Cirrhilabrus earlei, earl’s fairy wrasse, is a very beautiful labrid which is primarily found in and around Palau, well outside of the normal marine ornamental collection areas and therefore extremely rare in the trade. Earl’s fairy wrasse was only discovered…

Cirrhilabrus earlei trio arrives in US, along with some delectable Angelfish

Nebraska Reef Club President, Jim Gryczanowski, is a self professed wrasse nut. Recently, he acquired a trio of Cirrhilabrus earlei. The C. earlei wrasse is a deepwater species, only recently discovered in 2001. They are extremely rare in the trade…

Cirrhilabrus earlei, Earle’s fairy wrasse pair relocated to Japanese Vessel

Earle’s fairy wrasse, Cirrhilabrus earlei, is one of the newest and rarest fairy wrasses in the world. This species was only discovered in the depths of Palau in 2001 at over 260 feet, 80 meters deep. The pair of C.…

Cirrhilabrus apterygia, the Mutant Comes Home to the Fairy Wrasses

Cirrhilabrus apterygia is the new name for a fish that’s been known to science for many years, but is so bizarre that one of its common names is the mutant wrasse. First described as Conniella apterygia in 1983 this particular wrasse…

Brian Greene, Richard Pyle and Sonia Rowley teases with a surfeit of undescribed species from Pohnpei

To the uninitiated, the mesophotic coral reefs would seem like an unlikely place to find vibrant fish life. Antonymous to the ebullient habitat of shallow water coral gardens, the mesophotic zone is a gloomy contrast of seemingly endless dread and forlorn landscapes. Except not…

1.3 Fairy Wrasses: The lanceolatus group

The members of the lanceolatus group are some of the largest and showiest fairy wrasses, collectively celebrated for their grandiose caudal fin and chromatic brilliance. The group spans most of the Indo-Pacific, with its various species occupying a series of…

New splitfin anthias species, Luzonichthys seaver described from Pohnpei Micronesia

Luzonichthys seaver is a new species of splitfin anthias that has just been described from two specimens collected in Pohnpei Micronesia. The splitfin anthias are an uncommon group of fishes in the marine aquarium hobby whose number of recognized species…

A Photographic Identification Guide to Stenopus Shrimp

The Coral Banded Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) is a staple of the aquarium hobby, but there are many more species in its genus that are less familiar to aquarists. Nearly all of the dozen or so species appear in exports from…

Reef Party Alert: Head on down to Nebraska Aquatic Supply this weekend for a day of great speakers and a great time

It’s Nebraska Aquatic Supply’s third anniversary this weekend and owner Jim Gryzanowski has a great time installed for everyone. Jim is a personal friend of us here at ReefBuilders and is a familiar face in the industry. NAS may be new…