Exquisite wrasse

Where they come from

Exquisite wrasses (Cirrhilabrus exquisitus) are reef fish from the Indo-Pacific. You will see them listed from places like Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and up into parts of Micronesia. They hang around rubble slopes and reef edges where there is lots of cover and plenty of little food drifting by.

In the tank, they act like a fish that is used to cruising in open water but ducking into cover fast when something spooks them. Build around that and you will have a much easier time.

Setting up their tank

Give this fish swimming room first, then add hiding spots. A 4 foot tank is where they really start looking relaxed, especially once they settle in and do that constant wrasse patrol. They are reef-safe and do great in mixed reefs if the tank is stable.

• Tank size: I would aim for 75+ gallons for an adult, more if you want multiple wrasses
• Aquascape: rockwork with caves and overhangs plus open lanes for swimming
• Flow: moderate to strong, but make sure there are calmer pockets they can retreat to
• Sand: optional, but a sandbed helps them feel secure and gives you more livestock options (they do not bury like some Halichoeres, but wrasses still appreciate sand around)
• Lighting: whatever your reef uses is fine, they color up well under good spectrum and regular day/night timing

Acclimation tip from my own mistakes: keep the first day low-stress. Dim the lights, let them find cover, and do not have boisterous tankmates swarming the bag area. If they bolt around the glass on day one, it usually settles down once they learn the map of the rockwork.

What to feed them

These are planktivores in the wild, so think small meaty foods often. They have fast metabolisms and do better with multiple small feedings than one big dump of food.

• Frozen: mysis, finely chopped krill, calanus, brine (better as a mix, not the only food), reef blends
• Pellets: small sinking or slow-sinking marine pellets (they learn fast if you are consistent)
• Live (great for picky new fish): live copepods, live enriched brine

Watch the belly line. A healthy fish keeps a nice, slightly rounded look behind the pectoral fins. If it starts looking pinched, bump feeding frequency and consider checking for internal parasites.

How they behave and who they get along with

Exquisite wrasses are active, curious, and generally peaceful. They spend the day weaving through the rockwork and water column, and they sleep in a mucus cocoon tucked into the rocks.

The main drama is wrasse-to-wrasse, especially if you mix fairy wrasses (Cirrhilabrus) that look similar or add them in the wrong order. One confident male can decide the whole top half of the tank is his stage.

• Good tankmates: reef-safe community fish, gobies, blennies, tangs (in larger tanks), peaceful angels, anthias
• Usually fine: clownfish (unless the clowns are territorial and the tank is small)
• Use caution: dottybacks, aggressive damsels, bigger hawkfish, large aggressive angels
• Wrasse mixing: easier with different-looking species, lots of rockwork, and adding the most assertive fish last

They are also occasional snackers of tiny mobile inverts. Most ignore cleaner shrimp and snails, but very small ornamental shrimp can be a gamble, especially if the wrasse is underfed.

Breeding tips

Spawning behavior is fun to watch even if you never raise babies. In a comfortable tank, a male will flash color and do quick display swims, usually near the end of the light cycle. They are pelagic spawners, so eggs and larvae drift into the water column.

Raising them is advanced. The larvae are tiny and need the whole rotifer-to-copepod pipeline, plus dedicated rearing setups and gentle, clean food-rich water. If you are curious, start by just observing the courtship and keeping notes on timing and behavior.

Common problems to watch for

• Jumping: the number one way people lose them, especially during the first week or after a scare
• Not eating at first: common with new imports or fish that got pushed around at the store
• Being bullied: they shut down fast if an aggressive tankmate claims the whole water column
• External parasites (ich/velvet): wrasses can carry and show symptoms like flashing, heavy breathing, and fine dusting
• Thin body despite eating: can point to internal worms or chronic stress

If yours wedges itself into a rock crevice and does not come out right away, do not panic. They sleep hard and they also hide if startled. Check breathing and wait for lights-on. The real red flags are rapid breathing, clamped fins for days, or a steady slide into not eating.