Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse

Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse is a dazzling small wrasse renowned for the male's spectacular courtship displays, during which he rapidly intensifies his colors, extends his ornate dorsal and anal fins, and performs a rapid flashing dance to attract females. Males exhibit a stunning combination of orange-red bodies, electric blue facial markings, and elongated dorsal fin rays accented with vibrant red and yellow. Females are more subdued in pinkish-orange tones but are attractive in their own right and essential for triggering male display behavior.

The flashing courtship display, which typically occurs in the late afternoon, is one of the most breathtaking natural behaviors observable in a reef aquarium. The male swims rapidly upward, pauses at the apex with all fins fully extended and colors blazing at maximum intensity, then darts back down, repeating the sequence multiple times. This display is performed both to court females and to assert dominance over rival males. The presence of females in the aquarium is key to eliciting regular and vigorous displays from the male.

Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse is an ideal reef aquarium inhabitant, being completely reef-safe, active, and relatively hardy once acclimated. It swims in the upper water column and adds constant motion and color to the display. Like all flasher wrasses, it is an obligate jumper, and a tight-fitting lid or screen top is absolutely mandatory to prevent escape. It can be kept singly, in pairs, or in harems of one male with two to four females in tanks of 55 gallons or more. Multiple feedings per day of small, enriched foods are necessary to maintain body condition and vibrant coloration.