Paracheilinus flavianalis
| Difficulty | Low |
| Minimum Tank Size | 55 Gallons |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Water Parameters | 72-78 F, pH 8-8.4, Salinity 1.020-1.025 |
| Aggression | Peaceful |
| Size | 4" |
Wildly alluring, the Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse is one of the most eye catching fish available. Their dashing, flashing displays are one of beauty, while their care level and tank requirements are almost basic. These factors make them a strong choice for new and experienced aquarists alike.
A member of the Labridae family, the Blue Flasher Wrasse hails from Indonesia and resides in the Central Pacific, Derawan Island, Sulawesi and the Togean Islands. They are one of the few wrasses who do well with small, passive marine fish, as they will encourage them to spend more time out of the rockwork.
Tank Specific Need
The Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse should be given a long tank with several wide open spaces. This is needed for their flashing display, during which they will dart from one spot straight forward while showing their bright colors.
The quick dashing of the Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse can startle other fish, making them jump. You will need a tight fitting lid for tanks with these wrasse even though the Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse does not jump.
If keeping multiple male Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse you will need a large tank of at least 135 gallons. While the Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse is extremely peaceful to most fish, males will still fight with each other when given too little space. While this aggression can be curved with multiple female flasher wrasse, which will also increase the frequency of the males flashing display, the best way to stop their aggression is a larger tank.
Flasher wrasse enjoy tanks with plentiful rockwork to dark in and around. If kept with larger fish the rockwork becomes much more important, as caverns make for great hiding places for small fish. Be sure to not cause huge blockades with the rocks, as the Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse enjoys long, horizontal spaces.
Tank Mates to Avoid
The Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse is a great fish for any marine tank that does not have large predators. They will not show aggression towards most other wrasse, small fish or even inverts.
Like most fish, the male Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse should not be kept with other males, as they will fight without large tanks and multiple females. Additionally they may target baby shrimp, so do not add the Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse until your shrimp have become at least juvenile.
Diet & Feeding
The Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse enjoys a diet of high quality fish flakes, pellets and frozen foods such as mysis and brine shrimp. Their quick movements and bright colors catch the attention of most fish, making feeding the whole tank easier.
The Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse should be fed 2-3 times per day. They do not have large enough stomachs to survive off 1-2 feedings per day and will quickly become malnourished if they are not fed frequently enough. Unlike many wrasse, they will not pick food from the rockwork.
Keep the other fish in mind. Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse are quick and will steal food that slower fish are eyeing. If you are feeding slow hunters, such as mandarins, you may need to distract the wrasse and feed the slow fish at the same time.
Breeding & Sexing
The Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse spawns with Pelagic eggs, meaning they need massive bodies of water to breed successfully. As such, they cannot be bred in the home aquarium.
Unlike most wrasse, the Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse is not too difficult to introduce to a female of the species, as they are far less aggressive than other wrasse. They will still chase the female wrasse and sometimes nip or bump them, however this should end in a day or two.
Male yellowfin Flasher Wrasse are significantly more colorful than females. The males will show a distinct yellow color with blue highlights on both their bodies and fins while flashing/displaying, while the females will be much more uniform with their body color.
