The highly elusive demi god of the flasher wrasses, Paracheilinus piscilineatus has eluded divers and rare fish collectors alike for the longest time imaginable – that is until 2011. Since the start of last year, the industry has been getting fleeting glimpses of this ultra rare Mauritian endemic in small numbers, especially in Japan and the U.S. Many of the Mauritius flasher wrasse specimens that come in leave much to be desired though, as the majority that end up in fish stores are either females, or run of the mill looking sub-males, but that is not the case with the latest male to hit the Diver’s Den.
LiveAquaria and Pacific Island Aquatics are amongst some of the LFS in the states to have imported these rare and sought after flashers, but even then, a pristine and full grown male specimen has been elusive until now. The super studly male specimen headlining this article is the newest piece to hit the Diver’s Den and it’s by far the best we’ve seen to date.
Perhaps the most unique characteristic of this species is the illusionary forked tail that males possess. Also check out the awesome electric blue line that runs from the caudal peduncle, along the belly and then encircling around the pectoral fin base. The dorsal fin is unlike many of the other species and lacks filamentous processes. The coloration is very beautiful, and is a cryptic mix of yellow and red en-scrawled with blue scribbles and spots.
A close runner up to the gorgeous male above would be this one by B-Box Aquarium brought in last year. Although a male that is far better looking than most imported specimens, it still has a long way to go before coming anywhere close to the one LiveAquaria has for sale.
