Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse

Overview

The Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse is a striking fairy wrasse with a pale blue-white body accented by a bold orange stripe running along the back, giving it excellent contrast against reef rockwork. It's a hardy, adaptable species once established, generally settling well into a reef tank and adding constant colour and movement to the middle and upper water column.

Like other fairy wrasses, males intensify their colouration during courtship or territorial displays, giving keepers an extra dimension of behaviour to observe alongside its already vivid resting colouration.

Its manageable adult size and peaceful nature make it a great fit for a wide range of reef tank sizes without adding aggression risk.

Compatibility

Orange-Back Fairy Wrasses are peaceful and fully reef safe, ignoring corals and invertebrates. They can be kept singly or, in a large enough tank, as one male with several females, though two males in a smaller system may show aggressive displays toward each other.

They mix well with other peaceful to semi-aggressive community fish and are rarely bullied given their alert, quick-swimming nature.

Health & quarantine

This species is generally hardy once acclimated, though like most wrasses it's a capable jumper, so a secure, gap-free lid is essential. A minimum four-week quarantine is recommended, and this species typically settles in and feeds well without major complications.