Solar Fairy Wrasse

The Solar Fairy Wrasse is one of the most breathtakingly colorful fairy wrasses available in the marine aquarium hobby. Males display a spectacular gradient of colors including deep reds, vibrant purples, electric blues, and warm oranges that shift and intensify during courtship displays. Red eyes add to their dramatic appearance. Females are more subdued, displaying a pinkish-lavender body with subtle accents, though they are attractive in their own right.

Fairy wrasses as a group are among the most reef-safe and peaceful wrasses available, and the Solar Fairy Wrasse is no exception. It spends its time swimming actively in the middle to upper water column, where males frequently display to females and rival males by intensifying their colors and extending their fins in a mesmerizing flashing display. This courtship behavior, which occurs primarily in the late afternoon, is one of the most spectacular natural shows in the reef aquarium.

The Solar Fairy Wrasse is hardy and adapts well to captive conditions, though it benefits from moderate to strong water flow and open swimming space. Like most fairy wrasses, it is a zooplankton feeder that requires multiple small feedings per day for optimal health. A tight-fitting lid is absolutely essential, as all fairy wrasses are notorious jumpers. This species can be kept singly or in a small harem of one male with several females in larger aquariums.