The Minute wrasse, Minilabrus striatus, is an exquisite nano reef wrasse from the Red Sea. Don’t be alarmed if you’ve never heard of this fish, we’ve never seen one either. This recent import by ACI Aquaculture could be the first ever for this species in America and perhaps the world.
The Minute wrasse is tiny little reef fish classified in its own genus, Minilabrus. The small fish is recorded to reach a maximum size of 2.5 in. — the perfect nano reef fish for real!
From what we can gather about the Minute wrasse, it looks like a flasher wrasse trapped in a cleaner wrasse’s body. But clearly more closely related to the Halichoeres genus which includes the Christmas wrasse.
Don’t be expecting to pick up a whole school of the Minute wrasse with your regular reef funds. This never-before seen species is only landing in very small quantities right now, and expect the initial price to be quite high. Hopefully more shipments of this beautiful species will mean that we see and learn more about it really soon.
