Needs Info of a New Cirrhilabrus

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

I introduce here an undescribed species of Cirrhilabrus. It was collected in Fiji and shipped to Japan (Tokyo) last year, and sold as a pair at an extra expensive price of 380000 Yen (some $ 3600 !!!).

The male photographed by a dealer at a shop in Saitama, just north of Tokyo and here it is shown (middle). The female was unfortunately soon died at the shop and was sent to me as a scientific specimen (bottom).

I kept one specimen, a young male of the species, that was collected in Fiji some three years ago. I suspected that it was C. bathyphilus then so the specimen was lost now (top).

The same species was also collected by a friend in Tonga several years ago (10cm male). Then the species ranges Fiji and Tonga. It is surely similar to C. bathyphilus from the Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia and Vanuatu region, but has a different dorsal-fin coloration. I am now preparing a paper on this new species with a friend in Australia to name it.

I hope somebody to let me know about any information or photographs of the same species from Fiji or Tonga areas ? I would greatly appreciate you when you kindly inform me. Thank you.

 

[Vili_Shark]

Hello Tanaka san,
Im almost sure I have seen the middle pic fish in Vanuatu shipments, coming as C.bathyphillus.
Im saying almost cause I dont have a pic of that specimens with me, they sure looked the same.
Vanuatu have some amazing fairy wrasses, always exciting to see shipments from there arriving.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Hello, Mr. Vili Shark,

Yes, this species is very similar to C. bathyphilus from Vanuatu. The female (upper) and male (lower) of C. bathyphilus are shown here. But they differ in coloration especially of D-fin.

Probably you saw the female of C. bathyphilus from Vanuatu.

The new one has a prominent spine on 1st D-fin, and I will show the photo from Tonga soon.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This is a male from Tonga, 10cm long. Photo by L. Sharron in Tonga. It was collected by the photographer and was the only specimen from there as far as I know.

It has a yellow area and a spinous portion on the 1st D-fin that cannot be seen in any type of C. bathyphilus. Also note the small, yellow area at the posterobasal part of the fin.

These two seem to be so closely related. C. bathyphilus ranges northern part of the Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Vanuatu specimens are differing in having a red head and yellow body.

 

[Vili_Shark]

Hello Tanaka san,
The specimens I saw looked like your first post middle pic, it was surely not same as the female bathyphillus you just posted, might have been a non alpha male or somthing as they were all in the same tank.
Are you saying that this fish you originally posted have a prominent spine?

The guy who took this pic, Mr. Sharron, sure have some nice fairy wrasses.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

The fish is the same specimen with the top one, and you may see the D-fin, but as I stated, it was still a young so the spine was not apparent. Note the coloration of the D-fin; it is very distinct.

If you saw the species from Vanuatu it is much more possible that it proves to be an undescribed one. Now we have several specimens of the species; most are at friend's hand and we are examining and comparing it with C. bathyphilus.

Anyway your reply is very informative and interesting. Thank you very much !

 

[jason edward]

Hiroyuki,

My client has this fish, bought as a pair, but unfortunately we lost the female. It is definitely different from bathyphillus, with the prominent dorsal spine.
The only location I could get for this was a very vague South Pacific...

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Hello Jason,

A nice news from you and would you mind sending me photos of your specimens dead or alive ? They would be much help for our study.
Because I have only one shot of a male with a filament on dorsal fin, and how is yours ? I will email you soon.

 

[Hobbyist]

Hiroyuki,

This fish was sold as a Tonga Flame. I believe it is what you are looking for. I have confirmed with the wholesaler that it did come from a Tonga shipment.

I also have two females that this fish will occasionally flash too. They may be Bathyphilus. I will post some pictures.

Phil

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Hi Phil,

Yes, it is Cirrhilabrus species, unnamed. It is restricted to Tonga and Fiji at present, and we want more specimens and photos like yours 1

Look at its first spine of the dorsal fin, that is different from C. bathyphilus, and also it has a different dorsal-fin coloration.

We almost finished the description of the species and I would like to add your photos to our paper if you are OK. Also I want to know their sizes. I cannot wait to see more pics of male in display and of female by you, and many thanks !

 

[Hobbyist]

Hiroyuki,

You are welcome to use the photos any way you please.

I will see if I can get some more pictures for you.

The male you see is probably 7-8cm.

Phil

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Phil,
Thanks and I will wait for others.

 

[jason edward]

Hiroyuki,
I should have pics next week. I need to catch him out of a 600 gallon reef first!
Another difference is that bathyphilus (at least my pair have a lunate caudal, The male's is very lunate, the female's has a small point at the top and the bottom), in this fish is completely rounded.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Jason,

Thank you for your info.

The pic shows four individuals of;

1 bathyphilus (upper left) from Holmes Reef of Cairns
2,3 bathyphilus (center and lower of left row) from Vanuatu (Efate)
4 new species, male (upper right) from Fiji
5 new species, young male (lower right) from Fiji

The Vanuatu bathyphilus (2,3) is the same specimen and the tail looks lunate when it is folded.

The new species from Fiji (& Tonga) possesses a different dorsal-fin coloration.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello Tanaka san,
The specimens I saw looked like your first post middle pic, it was surely not same as the female bathyphillus you just posted, might have been a non alpha male or somthing as they were all in the same tank.
Are you saying that this fish you originally posted have a prominent spine?

The guy who took this pic, Mr. Sharron, sure have some nice fairy wrasses.

Actually, I highly doubt Larry has any. He runs collection stations and does photography on the side.

As far as the Tongan Flames, contact Bookfish on this site. He can tell you just how many he shipped while working there. From the sounds of it, he shipped plenty of them buggers

 

[jason edward]

Hiroyuki,
Sorry, I'm not much of a photographer!

 

[jason edward]

Three more

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Jason,

Many thanks for your very nice pictures of the rare fish; I hope you to catch its filamentous tip on the first spine of dorsal fin~ it is the most outstanding feature in shape for this unnamed one.

 

[wade1]

I picked this one up this weekend. It is still hiding in my reef, so I haven't managed any new pictures yet. (There were from when it was still in the bag.) This one was imported from Vanuatu.

Please feel free to use them as needed for compiling trends.

 

[jason edward]

These just came in from Vanuatu. My guess is bathyphilus, but I'm not sure, as the bathyphilus I usually get from there look more like the ones above.