Red Velvet Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis

Red Velvet Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis)

The Red Velvet Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, is a beautiful and elegant marine fairy wrasse, admired for its rosy-red head, peach to pink body tones, soft purple fin shading and active open-water swimming behaviour. Also known as the Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse, Rosy Scale Fairy Wrasse or Red Head Fairy Wrasse, this species makes a stunning addition to mature reef aquariums. It is generally peaceful, reef safe and colourful, but like all fairy wrasses, it needs a secure lid, peaceful tank mates and regular small feeds to thrive.

Common Name:
Red Velvet Wrasse, Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse, Rosy Scale Fairy Wrasse, Rosy-Scales Fairy Wrasse, Red Head Fairy Wrasse, Redscaled Fairy Wrasse.

Scientific Name (Latin):
Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis

Maximum Size:
Around 9–10 cm, making it a small to medium-sized fairy wrasse suitable for mature reef aquariums with good swimming space.

Water Type:
Marine

Origin / Natural Habitat:
Found in the Western Indian Ocean, including reef regions such as the Chagos and Maldives area in the wider aquarium trade context. In the wild, Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse are associated with reef slopes, coral, rubble and sandy reef zones, often in deeper reef habitats. They naturally feed above the substrate on small planktonic foods in the water column and use reef structure for shelter.

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 24–27°C
pH Range: 8.1–8.4
Hardness or Salinity: SG 1.020–1.025

Temperament:
Peaceful to mildly semi-aggressive. Red Velvet Wrasse are generally suitable for peaceful and moderately active reef communities, but males can be confident and may compete with other planktivorous wrasses or similarly shaped fairy wrasses. Best kept with peaceful tank mates that will allow them to settle and feed confidently. Avoid very aggressive fish, large intimidating species or overly dominant wrasses in smaller aquariums.

Diet:
Carnivorous planktivore. In the aquarium, offer a varied diet of frozen mysis shrimp, enriched brineshrimp, cyclops, copepod-based foods, finely chopped marine foods and high-quality small marine pellets. Several smaller feeds per day are ideal, especially while newly introduced specimens are settling. A varied diet helps maintain colour, activity and condition.

Minimum Tank Size:
A practical minimum of around 250–400 litres is recommended for a single specimen, with larger aquariums preferred if keeping multiple fairy wrasses or a harem-style group. Provide mature rockwork, caves, crevices, open swimming space and moderate water movement.

Behaviour & Activity:
An active and graceful fairy wrasse that spends much of the day swimming in open water above the rockwork, searching for small foods. Males may display their colours and fins, especially when kept with females or other compatible wrasses. Unlike sand-burying wrasses, Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse use rockwork and crevices for shelter and may sleep within a mucus cocoon at night. A tight-fitting lid is essential, as fairy wrasses are excellent jumpers when startled.

Reef Safe:
Reef Safe
Red Velvet Wrasse are considered reef safe and do not normally nip corals, clam mantles or sessile invertebrates. They are well suited to reef aquariums, although they may eat very small planktonic organisms, pods and tiny crustaceans as part of their natural feeding behaviour.

Special Requirements or Care Notes:
Best kept in a mature, stable reef aquarium with peaceful tank mates and a secure jump guard. This species does not require a sand bed, but it does need rockwork with safe sleeping and hiding spaces. Avoid housing with aggressive wrasses, large predatory fish or boisterous feeders that may cause stress. If keeping more than one fairy wrasse, introduce carefully and provide enough space to reduce competition. Newly imported specimens may be shy at first, so monitor feeding closely during the settling period.

Suitable for:
Intermediate fishkeepers

Availability:
Occasionally available in the marine aquarium trade / Availability can vary depending on supplier, size, sex, colour phase and import season

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Please note that Mother Nature is a wonderful thing, and variation in patterns and colours will occur — that is part of the unique beauty of these animals.