Pink Flasher Wrasse

Facts about Pink Flasher Wrasse it has other names such as Red-fin Flasher Wrasse and Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse. The Pink Flasher Wrasse is a common fish known for reef aquaria. Pink Flasher Wrasse is the smallest Flasher Wrasse as compared to other wrasses. This kind of species normally inhabits the base of outer reef-slopes, above the rubble zones. The male Pink Flasher Wrasses have reddish-orange color with a yellow or white underside. They have prolonged dorsal rays, and the color is known to deepen during courtship period. Male Pink Flasher Wrasse are relatively larger than females which are usually paler in color with a white ventral. Their mating behavior involves short and quick dashes across the water column by the male and it flares its fins. The Pink Flasher Wrasse do this in a secure place just near the reef rocks or along the sand bed. This kind of flashing in the water column and moving towards their point of origination is believed to attract females and it stimulates mating.

Pink Flasher Wrasses are best kept in groups with more females than males in order to encourage males to display. The Pink Flasher Wrasse species can easily be bullied and females have to be introduced first to a tank for them to establish themselves fully. Their aquarium should at least be 30 gallons especially if you intend to keep them in a group. The place should have plenty of live rock and a tight fitting lid because they are known to jump from the aquariam. Thus there should be no large holes or any other openings where the wrasse can escape. The Pink Flasher Wrasse can easily accept and adapt diet of varied food such as meaty bits of marine flesh like squid, mussel, raw table shrimp, clam, and among others. Vitamin enriched brine shrimps are also good and they should accept quality marine pellet food.

Pink Flasher Wrasse is known to a protogynous hermaphrodite, which means that they are all born as females. The Pink Flasher Wrasse actually live in harems with one male and many females. When the dominant male dies, a female develops into a male unless there are some subordinate males and in that case, one subordinate male becomes the dominant male. Sexing Pink Flasher Wrasse is not always easy but a male is larger and more colorful than female. They often release their eggs in open water after the male and female dart upwards in water column where the eggs and milt are released. Such eggs and larvae then drift slowly and freely in water and the fry starts swimming and moving down to the bottom of the reef.

In general, Pink Flasher Wrasse which is known to be native to the western Pacific Ocean can actually be found on reefs at a depth of about 27 to 45m they can reach a length of about 8cm and they frequently make their way to the aquarium trade. The Pink Flasher Wrasse is the easiest wrasse to be kept in captivity and they can easily adapt to indiscriminate carnivorous diet. The species is reef-safe in the aquarium and it does not harm invertebrates or nibble at coral polyps.