The Flashiest Wrasse
Every once in a while, a fish comes along that the hobby likes to call “Holy Grail”. There's a few of these: Dr. Seuss fish, Conspic Angels, Femininus Wrasses, and more. What they all share is stunning looks and absurdly low availability; beyond that what is the ultimate fish for someone new to the hobby is probably not the same fish as someone who has been keeping marine aquariums since the 80's. When it boils down to it though, you want your dream fish to be active, so you can see it and hardy so you can keep it, and hopefully reef safe so you can place it in your masterpiece. This is a lot of boxes to tick and have the fish still meet the rarity / gorgeousness boxes. There is one fish that comes to mind, because we happen to have a couple specimens in stock at Quality Marine right now and most of us have never seen one before...
Today, we present to you the hyper-rare and jaw-dropping beautiful Mauritius Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus hemitaeniatus), a Holy Grail Wrasse if there ever was one. Only a few specimens of this fish have ever made it into the Americas, and not many more have ever been in captivity anywhere, with the bulk of the specimens going to China, Japan and the United States. The first specimens made it to the US back in 2013, and we see them very infrequently.
So few Paracheilinus hemitaeniatus have ever been collected that they don't have very many common names, and people are taking some liberties because of it (and marketing it whatever they want)! Here we call it the Madagascar Flasher Wrasse, and we've seen them marketed as Starry Eyed Wrasse and Filamentous Flasher Wrasse. In Mandarin Chinese it is known as the Silktail.
While they have only been collected in the waters surrounding Madagascar, and it is suggested they might also be found at similar depths (150 feet) and habitats (deep reef / rubble slopes) in the Comoro Islands.
Like most Paracheilinus, this is a small fish, growing less that three inches long, that is somewhat timid when first introduced to a display. They are planktivores in the wild, which is good, as it makes them used to eating suspended food, which aids them in seguing over to a captive diet. We're feeding them a very finely chopped meaty mix that includes some small mysis. We also introduce the smallest Nutramar pellets with this feed to start to get them acclimated to it. The biggest challenge in feeding any Paracheilinus comes in making sure they aren't hiding at feeding times, so choosing mild mannered tankmates is an important aspect of long term success.
Paracheilinus hemitaeniatus doesn't need a big display, a trio of them could be kept happily in 75 gallon aquarium. Make plenty of caves and rockwork swim through opportunities make them feel more secure. Moderate flow will also encourage them to swim around, and they will relish the current. A display should be dimly lit initially, though they will acclimate to brighter lighting in short order. When startled, Madagascar flashers will dart quickly and jump, and thus we recommend a covered display and do not recommend strong anemones like Stichlodactyla or Heteractis which could quickly sting and eat a panicked Flasher Wrasse, (trust us, you do not want to lose your showpiece specimen in this way).
In regards to water quality, stability is more important than any specific parameter, and standard tropical marine aquarium numbers will be fine for their continued health; avoid nitrogen spikes and temperature / pH swings. We suggest using a stable, quality salt like Tropic Marin, and doing regular maintenance to keep your pH in the 8 range, your nitrates in the 2-3 range and you alkalinity stable. Temperature should be very stable in the mid 70s. Your aquarium should be cycled, aged and stable before adding these fish. While they aren't noticeably more sensitive than the other Paracheilinus, they are going to be a substantial investment, so take necessary precautions.
To be the fish no one has and everyone lusts over, rarity is key. Which means it either has to come from somewhere very hard to get to, or from dangerous depths, or from pirate infested waters, or well, you get the idea. The Madagascar Flasher wrasse checks the rest of the boxes, being stunning, active, and staying small. Choose tankmates with care or better yet, keep the Madagascar Flasher Wrasses in a a species specific display, they are worth the attention! If you're interested in one of the rarest, most beautiful fish available to marine aquarium hobbyists today, and it's time to take the plunge on your Holy Grail Wrasse display, have your LFS call Quality Marine right away!