Kato's Fairy Wrasse: Female

Cirrhilabrus katoi. In the world of Cirrhilabrus, Kato's Fairy Wrasse is a virtual unknown. It's biogeographic range is almost entirely restricted to the waters of Japan, from the Ryukyu Arc in the west to the Izu Islands in the east, generally being restricted to fairly moderate depths. In the past, it would occasionally trickle into the Japanese aquarium market. C. katoi looks something like a cross between Pyle's Fairy Wrasse (C. pylei) and a Temminck's Fairy Wrasse (C. temminckii). All of these have relatively long pelvic fins and a shimmery caudal fin margin. At first glance, katoi is not an unattractive fish, and, when photographed at the height of its sexual display, this species is one of the more flamboyant members of its genus - a skittish and secretive specie with muted reds and oranges and a sooty dorsal fin.