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 because they are mostly found in the twilight reefs of Palau, far from typical aquarium collections and considered a Holy Grail among wrasse fanatics.
The trio originated from world-renown Blue Harbor Aquarium in Japan. Rumor has it, some Centropyge resplendens and Centropyge interruptus hitched a ride as well. The C. resplendens are reported to originate from someone’s private collection. We respect some hobbyists may wish to keep their collections private, so we will have to wait and see whether we learn more about the angelfish in the future. This shipment is yet another indication that the demand and passion for rare marine fish is growing in the USA. We wish Jim the best of luck with his new fish, and hope to see more photos!
