How related are they?
Same subfamily, Cirrhilabrinae (Fairy wrasses and allies): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Exquisite Wrasse belongs to Cirrhilabrus (Fairy wrasses), the Six Line Wrasse to Pseudocheilinus (Lined wrasses).
Find the Exquisite Wrasse on the tree · Find the Six Line Wrasse on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Exquisite Wrasse | Six Line Wrasse |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Chordata Chordates | |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata Vertebrates | |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates | |
| Parvphylum | Osteichthyes bony fishes | |
| Gigaclass | Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes | |
| Superclass | Actinopteri | |
| Class | Teleostei Teleost fishes | |
| Order | Eupercaria (unplaced) Unplaced eupercarian fishes | |
| Family | Labridae Wrasses | |
| Subfamily | Cirrhilabrinae Fairy wrasses and allies | |
| Genus split | Cirrhilabrus Fairy wrasses | Pseudocheilinus Lined wrasses |
| Species | Cirrhilabrus exquisitus Exquisite Wrasse | Pseudocheilinus hexataenia Six Line Wrasse |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Exquisite Wrasse | Six Line Wrasse |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Wrasse | Fish · Wrasse |
| Care level | Easy | Easy |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Semi-aggressive |
| Diet | Planktivore | Carnivore |
| Favorite foods | Vitamin-enriched frozen mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp, Frozen copepods | Live amphipods and copepods found on live rock, Frozen mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp |
| Max size | 4.7 in (12 cm) | 3.5 in (8.9 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 70 gal | 55 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Lifespan | Not documented for this species. Hobby sources quote about 5-8 years for fairy wrasses in general; no published longevity study found. | About 4-6 years is commonly quoted for aquarium fish (Aquariadise); no published longevity study found. |
| Breeding | Not achieved | Not achieved |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Data Deficient | Least Concern |