CIrrhilabrus lanceolatus, the pin tail fairy wrasse is one of the most exquisite wrasses in the sea (not to be confused with Cirrhlabrus exquisitus). Certain forms of the pin tail fairy wrasse are available from time to time, and while the rose-striped fairy wrasse C. roseofasciatus is a close stand-in, nothing compares to the super-male, full nutpial specimen brought up by Deep Sea Challengers.
Even our previous coverage of a displaying Cirrhilabrus lanceolatus wrasse male doesn’t hold a candle to this fiery colorful specimen. Collected way down in the abyssal depths of Japan by Deep Sea Challengers, this brilliant red colored pin tail fairy wrasse may be so bold in color due to having been collected 140m (460ft) down where all traces of red light have long been absorbed by the water above.
Not a millimeter of this pintail fairy wrasse isn’t covered in ostentatious coloring or patterning, and even the namesake pintail on this stud goes on for days! It just goes to show that even though we think we “know” something about known species, there’s still lots for us to learn about some of the seldom seen species, especially when they keep their best representatives so deep it that they are all but out of sight and out of reach. [Deep Sea Challengers]
