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. earlei above was actualy caught at over 320 feet, 100 meters and for that reason, the fish are commanding the steep price of $1800. The image above shows a male on the right at a size of 3″/7cm and the specimen on the left is the female with a size of 2.5″/6cm. The species is most similar to Cirrhilabrus lineatus but it has much more pronounced and solid lines which are red instead of blue and it is one of the few fairy wrasses to show a well developed lanceolate caudal fin. When fully grown the male above will display a bright yellow gill cover and blue girdle to the face, making for one of the most striking headshots of any Cirrhilabrus. Big thanks to Taka Kamata for communicating with the fine Japanese aquarium shop Vessel which generously shared their picture and information with Reef Builders about this fascinating species.
