Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse (Super Male)

Physical Characteristics

• Size: Supermales are the largest in a group, reaching up to 4 inches in captivity. Females are generally smaller.
• Coloration: Males display intense coloration, especially during courtship, featuring a brilliant golden-yellow body, a light blue head, and distinct dark blue lines. Females have similar, but more subdued colors.
• Fin shape: Males have elongated pelvic fins and a distinctly diamond-shaped caudal (tail) fin, while females have shorter, stubbier pelvic fins and a less pronounced tail shape. 

Behavior and Social Structure

• Dominance: A supermale is the single dominant male in a harem social structure, which includes several females.
• Hermaphroditism: Like all Cirrhilabrus wrasses, the Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning individuals start as females and can transition to males when a dominant male is absent.
• Courtship Display: The supermale performs a “flashing” courtship display, darting around and flaring its fins to impress females.
• Temperament: Generally peaceful in a reef aquarium, though males may become territorial with other male wrasses of the same species if the tank is too small. 

Aquarium Care

• Diet: They are carnivorous plankton feeders and require a varied, protein-rich diet, including vitamin-enriched mysis and brine shrimp, as well as high-quality pellets or flakes, fed multiple times a day.
• Habitat: A secure, covered aquarium with ample live rock and hiding places is essential, as these wrasses are known jumpers. They do not bury in the sand at night, but may form a mucus cocoon or wedge into a crevice.