Flame Wrasse

About

Flame wrasses (Cirrhilabrus jordani) are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, with the occasional stray turning up at Johnston Atoll. A distribution that makes them one of the more geographically restricted members of their genus. In the wild, they gather in loose aggregations along the seaward faces of reefs, hovering just above the substrate at the edges of drop-offs and picking zooplankton from the water column a foot or two off the bottom. Males are extraordinarily colorful, draped in deep reds, oranges, and vivid pinks that intensify during courtship displays. The females are more subdued but still attractive fish. That color comes at a price: wild-caught specimens can be expensive and don't always ship well, so sourcing healthy individuals from a reputable supplier matters. In the aquarium they're active, mid-water swimmers that spend most of their time in the open, which makes them a pleasure to watch but also means they need decent horizontal swimming space. They're generally peaceful toward unrelated tankmates and work well in a community reef setup. Like most fairy wrasses, they're jumpers, so a well-fitted lid is non-negotiable. An intermediate keeper comfortable with reef-quality water conditions will find them very rewarding to keep.