Laboute's Fairy Wrasse

Care Summary

Laboute's is one of those fairy wrasses that makes experienced collectors stop cold in a fish store, and most people have genuinely never seen one in person. The two-toned pink-and-white coloration in dominant males intensifies dramatically during courtship, reaching colors that look almost digital under blue LEDs. It is peaceful with everything except possibly other dominant fairy wrasse males, so a single male with a group of females works best. Because it is uncommon in the trade, get a captive-raised specimen if you can find one; wild-caught examples from New Caledonia are sensitive to shipping stress.