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 isn’t adorned with any trailing fins or sword shaped tails, this magenta striped wrasse is still one of the more spectacular numbers in its genus. Bradley Syphus’ stunning specimen here shows off this spectacular fish in its full glory.
This stunning representation of its species started out as a tiny female, and look at how she turned out. In the wrasse world, sex change is common fare and hobbyists often get to document such changes even in their home aquaria. Bradley’s C. earlei is definitely worthy of a shout out and we hope it continues to stay happy and well groomed.
