Flasher Wrasses (Paracheilinus) are generally very colourful and spend most of their time out in the water column. They are peaceful and a little shy and therefore shouldn’t be kept with aggressive species.

Males are normally more eye catching and may have longer filaments on their dorsal fin. In captivity it can be tricky to keep their colour and they need to be provided with a variety of high quality foods.

They are not normally very choosy and eat most foods, although it can take a day or two before they start eating, when they are first introduced.

When these Wrasses are kept in a group of several females and one or two males, the latter will show off their colours more often. If the tank is less than 125 gal (500 liters) only one male should be kept.

At night they sleep in a mucus covered cocoon between rocks.

Several species in this genus resemble each other closely, it is difficult to distinguish them. In practice this is not a problem as they resemble each other also closely in their behaviour and demeanour. There are also hybrids between the species which makes distinguishing them very challenging, as well.

When one chooses these fish it pays to check the area around the mouth, as they can be injured during transport, which can lead to infections.
It is also important to make sure they feed actively.