Care
Scott's Fairy Wrasse is known from outer reef areas at depths of up to 40m (131ft), where it feeds in small groups on zooplankton just above the substrate. These groups are composed mainly of females and juveniles, the males being more solitary. This is a peaceful, active fish that is well suited to reef aquaria. The attractive colouration varies greatly depending on the collection location and on the fish's mood. The fish in the photograph above is a Fijian specimen; the fish from Australian waters tend to have less black and more orange/red in the fins, and those from the Cook Islands typically show more blue on the body, a bright red patch on the flanks, and less dark colouration in the dorsal fin. In the home aquarium, it is essential to provide Scott's Fairy Wrasse with consistently high water quality, decent current, and plenty of aeration. Provide an abundance of hiding places amongst live rock; these fish may be quite shy initially, but should soon gain confidence. Keep only one male per tank and if planning on keeping a group (comprising one male and several females), be sure to add the entire group simultaneously, or else add all females before the male. Large males will behave aggressively towards other fairy wrasses and other small wrasse species introduced after them. It has been known for adult males to lose some of their colouration in captivity when they are maintained alone, and keeping a small harem tends to prevent this from occurring. Do not attempt to house with intimidating fish such as larger species of Angels and Tangs as their presence may make the fairy wrasses feel threatened and then refuse to come out and feed. Having said that, they can eventually become quite boisterous at feeding times, so ensure that any passive feeders do not miss out. It is imperative that the tank has tightly fitting cover slides and no escape holes, as these fish are notorious for jumping from open-topped aquaria. May also be seen on sale as Velvet Dwarf Parrotfish.
Feeding
Feed a variety of meaty foods in small amounts several times per day, including Mysis shrimp,vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, finely chopped krill, and plankton. In time, take flake food.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium. During courtship in the wild, males are said to swim above the females with fins held fully erect.
