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Earle’s fairy wrasse, Cirrhilabrus earlei, is one of the newest and rarest fairy wrasses in the world. This species was only discovered in the depths of Palau in 2001 at over 260 feet, 80 meters deep. The pair of C. earlei above was actualy caught at over 320 feet, 100 meters and for that reason, the fish are commanding the steep price of $1800. The image above shows a male on the right at a size of 3″/7cm and the specimen on the left is the female with a size of 2.5″/6cm. The species is most similar to Cirrhilabrus lineatus but it has much more pronounced and solid lines which are red instead of blue and it is one of the few fairy wrasses to show a well developed lanceolate caudal fin. When fully grown the male above will display a bright yellow gill cover and blue girdle to the face, making for one of the most striking headshots of any Cirrhilabrus. Big thanks to Taka Kamata for communicating with the fine Japanese aquarium shop Vessel which generously shared their picture and information with Reef Builders about this fascinating species.
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Were they $1800 each or for the pair?
Awesome looking fish
$1800 for the pair, $2000 for a single Cirrhilabrus better come with with some tricks.
Insane fish…look close at the Reef Nutrition “reef scene” and you’ll see a pair on there
“The species is most similar to Cirrhilabrus lineatus…”
Huh, do you mean genetically? I’d say it looks like C. roseafascia more than any other fairy. Even closer to Conniella apterygia, minus the missing pelvic fin…
Matt, I totally agree with your observations. Earlei definitely looks a lot more like Conniella than other Cirrhilabrus. What a freak Conniella is to not have any pelvic fins!
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