Flame Wrasse - Facts On The Beautiful Flame Wrasse

Scientific Name : Cirrhilabrus Jordani
Origin : Hawaii
Temperament : Peaceful
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 4 Inches
Diet : Carnivore
Difficulty : Medium
Reef Safe : Yes
Tank Size : 100 Gallons Minimum

The Flame Wrasse is one of the most sought after members of the Fairy wrasse genus. The scientific name of the Flame Wrasse is Cirrhilabrus Jordani and it is probably the most splendidly colored fairy wrasses in the marine aquarium hobby today. This particular fish is collected off the waters of Hawaii.

Like all members of the Fairy wrasse family, males are easy to tell apart from females. The male Flame Wrasse has very striking coloration that includes red, orange and gold. Females on the other hand have more subdued colors. Because of this, the male Flame Wrasse always fetches a higher price.

Expect to pay up to $250 for a single male Flame wrasse. Females are generally cheaper and can go for as little as $100-$150 per specimen. Males are usually snapped up rather quickly due to smaller numbers in the trade.

Four inches seems to be the upper limit for the adult male Flame wrasse. As such, an aquarium no smaller than a 100 gallons should be used. It is important to note that all members of the fairy wrasse family are jumpers.

Because of this, you need to ensure the aquarium is covered somehow. Failure to take this precaution into consideration will result in a very dry and very dead flame wrasse on the floor.

In the wild, the Flame Wrasse are carnivores that feed on zooplankton. In captivity however, they can be taught to consume a wide variety of food items. Generally speaking, they are not finicky eaters and should warm up to meaty offerings given enough time. They can even be taught to eat pellets.

Offer them a variety of meaty and dry foods. If you can get them on a good pellet food like those produced by New Life Spectrum, you are safe. Mysis shrimp, Krill and meaty mixes like Prime Reef should be offered as well.

The social structure of the Flame wrasse is not unlike angelfish from the genus Centropyge. A single male is typically found with up to four females in the wild. The harem is controlled by the male until the time of his death.

When such an event occurs, the most dominant female in the harem will begin changing into a male and will assume the duties and characteristics of a male once the transformation is complete. From time to time, you may come across the term "supermale". A supermale is an alpha male in charge of a large harem that may include other smaller males. Generally speaking, supermales tend to be larger specimens with brilliant coloration and well developed finnage.

Spawning does occur in captivity with some regularity as can be seen in the video on the right. However, there have been no reports of captive raised Flame Wrasse specimens as of yet.

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