Filamented Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus Filamentosus) saltwater aquarium fish portrait

The Filamented Flasher Wrasse is a slender, vividly marked reef wrasse from the Indo-Pacific, with populations recorded through the Malay Archipelago, the Andaman Sea, and Christmas Island. Both sexes carry four or five narrow stripes that shift from red to blue and alternate in length, but males are the showpiece: a lunate caudal fin and dramatically extended dorsal fin rays that unfurl during display. Some females also develop shorter elongated dorsal rays. Coloration varies from region to region depending on which similar flasher wrasses share the reef, and the species is reported to hybridize with other members of the genus. Adults reach roughly 6 inches.

In nature this wrasse occupies rubble zones in reef passages and along outer slopes, as well as lagoons, where it gathers in large mixed-sex shoals dominated by females. Most of these aggregations occur near 70 feet of depth, with smaller groups found shallower. Plan on a 75-gallon aquarium or larger for adults, and provide considerably more volume for a harem; a single male is the safe limit in anything under about 125 gallons. Build the rockwork with abundant caves and overhangs, because a fish without adequate retreats becomes shy and stays hidden, and use a sand bed of at least 2 inches. A tight-fitting lid or eggcrate top is not optional. This species is a determined jumper that will slip through surprisingly small openings.

Care level is moderate, largely because of the jumping risk, the need for frequent feeding, and the attention required when establishing a harem. Once settled into a mature reef aquarium with strong rock structure and appropriate company, the fish is a durable and constantly active display animal.

Wild Filamented Flasher Wrasses feed on zooplankton and small benthic invertebrates picked from the water column and rubble. In the aquarium, build the diet around small, meaty items: finely chopped shrimp, crab, clam, mussel, and squid, plus frozen daphnia and brine shrimp. Most specimens will eventually take quality flake and prepared pellet foods, though not every individual accepts dry food readily. Herbivorous flake or seaweed strips can round out the offering. A refugium plumbed into the system provides a steady trickle of live copepods that this wrasse will hunt throughout the day.

Feed three to four small meals daily rather than one or two large ones. The species has a high metabolism and grazes more or less continuously in nature, so frequent small portions match its physiology far better than infrequent heavy feedings. Newly introduced fish are often reserved and may go a day or two before accepting food; keep offerings small, frequent, and varied during this period, and make sure more assertive tankmates are not intercepting every morsel before it reaches the new arrival.

Note: diet field requires exactly two paragraphs.

Chopped Shrimp Chopped Clam Chopped Mussel Chopped Squid Frozen Brine Shrimp Frozen Daphnia Live Copepods Marine Flake Food
This is a peaceful, somewhat retiring shoaling fish with a haremic social structure. Keep it as a pair or as one male with several females, and limit the tank to a single male unless the system is very large, since rival males of this species and similar flasher wrasses will provoke aggressive display and harassment. Males perform the flashing behavior the group is named for, racing through open water with fins erected and colors intensified to court females or warn off competitors. When assembling a harem, introduce the females first or add all members at the same time to avoid problems caused by staggered introductions.

In a reef community, this wrasse pairs well with other calm, similarly sized fish and spends its day cruising open water between rock structures. Avoid large or aggressive tankmates, which easily intimidate it into hiding and can outcompete it at feeding time. Corals and sessile invertebrates are not at risk, but this is a carnivore that hunts small live prey, and it will pick at very small shrimp and micro-invertebrates, so it is not a reliable choice for tanks stocked with delicate ornamental shrimp or prized micro-fauna.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Filamented Flasher Wrasse

  • How large an aquarium does an adult Filamented Flasher Wrasse need?
    Plan on at least 75 gallons for an adult, with substantially more volume for a harem. Keep only one male unless the system is around 125 gallons or larger.
  • Is this wrasse safe with shrimp and snails?
    It will not bother corals or most sessile invertebrates, but it does hunt tiny shrimp and micro-invertebrates, so it is not dependable in tanks with delicate small crustaceans.
  • How often should this wrasse be fed?
    Offer three to four small meals each day of varied meaty foods supplemented with frozen and prepared items. Its high metabolism and constant grazing habit make frequent small feedings far better than one large one.