The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[Petcrazyson]

I have honestly seen a Melanurus look like that but it was a once in a lifetime thing - I nearly got him but this was when I had a tank with 13ish fish.

You should’ve gotten him.

 

[i cant think]

Here are some photos from this morning. She's more slender, lacking some of the secondary characteristics on her head in terms of shape. Colors are more muted as well in terms of the orange striping and green.

My suspicions seem to be correct, I don’t think you have a pair and instead have a mature mail and a transitioning male (which may explain aggression from the ‘Female’ in the video). Females have the three black dorsal spots whilst males don’t have any of them except that first dorsal spot. I can’t see any except the first dorsal spot on your younger male. The other sign I’ve seen is the dorsal stripe which again yours seems to have.

 

[sdreef]

You think maybe instead of getting the melasmapomus I should get the Iridis? Yours is a stunner!

Thank you! I've always been partial to the iridis and chrysus due to their demeanor, but I don't have any experience with the melasmopomus and looks like a stunner as well.

Also…..DANG! What camera do you use?

Thanks, Canon R5, Canon RF 100mm Macro lense.

The wrasses generally don't cooperate and don't stop moving, so to get a truly crisp picture I find it helps to speed up the shutter. As a result, I run into lower light and can get noise. I think I could use a flash to help, but I haven't figured that out.

The camera has some nice tracking and eye detection. Works sometimes, but can't figure out what to focus on for leopard wrasse and a number of fish have a false eye that confuses the camera. My favorite photos are where the fish is making some type of gesture, but it's difficult to capture the brief moment with the lighting right and the correct areas in focus. Takes some patience.

I shoot in RAW using auto white balance which I correct in lightroom. More info then you want, but lightroom also has a mask function that lets you select the subject. I use it to drop the exposure of the background a bit. Makes the fish pop a little more.

 

[sdreef]

My suspicions seem to be correct, I don’t think you have a pair and instead have a mature mail and a transitioning male (which may explain aggression from the ‘Female’ in the video). Females have the three black dorsal spots whilst males don’t have any of them except that first dorsal spot. I can’t see any except the first dorsal spot on your younger male. The other sign I’ve seen is the dorsal stripe which again yours seems to have.

That's good to know. Makes sense. They used to perform a nightly ritual where the male would chase the female around the top of the tank at lights out. That doesn't happen any more.

I'll keep an eye out for the dorsal spots, but I suspect you're correct. Thanks

 

[sdreef]

So how could I ensure I get a male? Or can I just get a female and wait for it to transation?

I believe they'll all transition to male eventually. I got mine as a juvenile.

 

[Slocke]

Tried to get my other wrasse this morning but they were being very shy. The Coris in particular. Though I finally captured its blue "skirt". Also for fairness I think I need to show the full drabness of the melanarus after that edited photo haha.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Thank you! I've always been partial to the iridis and chrysus due to their demeanor, but I don't have any experience with the melasmopomus and looks like a stunner as well.



Thanks, Canon R5, Canon RF 100mm Macro lense.

The wrasses generally don't cooperate and don't stop moving, so to get a truly crisp picture I find it helps to speed up the shutter. As a result, I run into lower light and can get noise. I think I could use a flash to help, but I haven't figured that out.

The camera has some nice tracking and eye detection. Works sometimes, but can't figure out what to focus on for leopard wrasse and a number of fish have a false eye that confuses the camera. My favorite photos are where the fish is making some type of gesture, but it's difficult to capture the brief moment with the lighting right and the correct areas in focus. Takes some patience.

I shoot in RAW using auto white balance which I correct in lightroom. More info then you want, but lightroom also has a mask function that lets you select the subject. I use it to drop the exposure of the background a bit. Makes the fish pop a little more.

Thank you so much and the extra information goes a long way. I want to invest in a camera so yours seems like a good option!

 

[sdreef]

My suspicions seem to be correct, I don’t think you have a pair and instead have a mature mail and a transitioning male (which may explain aggression from the ‘Female’ in the video). Females have the three black dorsal spots whilst males don’t have any of them except that first dorsal spot. I can’t see any except the first dorsal spot on your younger male. The other sign I’ve seen is the dorsal stripe which again yours seems to have.

I was under the impression the three dorsal spots was juvenile coloration and all adults would transition out of the three spots.

Do you have a picture or reference with an adult female with three occelae on the dorsal fin? I haven't been successful in finding that in any of the resources I've come across. Thanks

 

[i cant think]

So how could I ensure I get a male? Or can I just get a female and wait for it to transation?

I also got both my Halichoeres as juveniles (Although I don’t have good photos of my iridis) and now look at them, I have a beautiful male iridis and a stunning transitioning chloropterus. The only photo I have of my iridis as a juvie and only 1 inch (if that).

And today
My 4.5 inch beast, 3 years later.

 

[i cant think]

I was under the impression the three dorsal spots was juvenile coloration and all adults would transition out of the three spots.

Do you have a picture or reference with an adult female with three occelae on the dorsal fin? I haven't been successful in finding that in any of the resources I've come across. Thanks

The 3 dorsal spots are still there in mature females however they are much smaller and not as noticeable unless you look for them.
Here’s an old photo of mine just before it began to transition. This photo was taken on the 22nd of January this year, so he was certainly a mature female at the time of this photo. All 3 dorsal spots are visible. If I had to guess I’d say this girl was only 3.5 inch in this photo, she began to show obvious signs of transition at 4 inch (In this photo there are a few signs but again I only notice that when looking closely at the photo).

 

[Slocke]

I have honestly seen a Melanurus look like that but it was a once in a lifetime thing - I nearly got him but this was when I had a tank with 13ish fish.

In the right lighting mine does look more like this but in my FOWLR with the weak lights it's hard to capture. I will settle for the chunkiest wrasse I think I've seen. Anyone have a fatter wrasse?

 

[Tcook]

Do you have a close up of the female too? It’s been a while since I’ve seen a properly matured female

You gotta get out more.

 

[i cant think]

Here’s my favourite wrasse I kept from the Halichoeres genus, I wish I could grab another but I doubt my chloropterus would be happy besides, I have a plan for my final fish.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Here’s my favourite wrasse I kept from the Halichoeres genus, I wish I could grab another but I doubt my chloropterus would be happy besides, I have a plan for my final fish.

When are we going to be seeing that…..R…A? Lol

 

[Petcrazyson]

Here’s my favourite wrasse I kept from the Halichoeres genus, I wish I could grab another but I doubt my chloropterus would be happy besides, I have a plan for my final fish.

I have a question, when you got this one did you get it thinking it was a Yellow Corris? Or were you aiming for the Silver Belly?

 

[i cant think]

Here’s my favourite wrasse I kept from the Halichoeres genus, I wish I could grab another but I doubt my chloropterus would be happy besides, I have a plan for my final fish.

And a peeping face of my first naokoae, both of these were in the 4’ tank at the same time - Unfortubately I lost both of these guys, my naoko was due to a spinal issue from hitting the lid and my leucoxanthus was due to the sand being the wrong fineness.

 

[i cant think]

I have a question, when you got this one did you get it thinking it was a Yellow Corris? Or were you aiming for the Silver Belly?

I was actually aiming for a silver belly and I knew the differences between the two - this was in a tank with 3 Yellow ‘Coris’. I never regretted getting the Silver Belly as they’re extremely underrated and overshadowed by their sister species.

When are we going to be seeing that…..R…A? Lol

Honestly, I don’t know. I’m hoping it’ll be some time soon (maybe next time I go to my further LFS I’ll grab one if they still have the two I saw last time I went).

 

[takoarm8]

Yeah Melanarus has to go picking at my torches and just being a tyrant

 

[Petcrazyson]

Ok so this is what I got down:

Must:

Johnsoni[]
Attenuatus[]
Lubbocki[]
Naokoae[]

On the Table:
Nahackyi
Rhomboidalis
Lunatus
Rubricaudalis

One Or The Other:
Iridis, Melasmapomus
Negrosensis, Bipartitus, Marisrubri

@sdreef @Crabby48 @SaltyT what do you all think? And of course @i cant think and @Slocke I‘m not excluding you I just figured you’d both see this faster than the others

 

[i cant think]

Ok so this is what I got down:

Must:

Johnsoni[]
Attenuatus[]
Lubbocki[]
Naokoae[]

On the Table:
Nahackyi
Rhomboidalis
Lunatus
Rubricaudalis

One Or The Other:
Iridis, Melasmapomus
Negrosensis, Bipartitus, Marisrubri

@sdreef @Crabby48 @SaltyT what do you all think? And of course @i cant think and @Slocke I‘m not excluding you I just figured you’d both see this faster than the others

You aren’t wrong there!

I would do these.
On the table;
C. nahackyi, P. rubricaudalis & Lunatus
One or the other;
Iridis & Negrosensis