I want to rename this wrasse: the galaxy wrasse!

[Slocke]

This is my Coris gaimard, or that’s the boring scientific name presumably named after some self-important scientist. Its common name in the hobby is the red coris wrasse, though outside of the hobby, it is often called the African or yellowtail coris wrasse.

Here is my old juvenile:

Here is another photo of my female:

Finally, here is a photo of a male from Google:

I have issues with all of those common names.

Red Coris wrasse
So what’s the problem? Unlike the yellow and the green “coris” wrasse. This wrasse is, in fact, a Coris wrasse. So it’s good right?

Well is that fish red? No. It’s orange Definitely orange. And I don’t think “orange Coris wrasse” rolls off the tongue. Also boring.

African Coris Wrasse
This is the range of Coris gaimard:

Can you spot the problem? There are many Coris wrasse in African waters. This is not one.

Yellowtail Coris wrasse
OK, this one does have a yellowtail once it becomes an adult, and for my galaxy wrasse argument to work, I can’t argue with that. But… a yellowtail is a common feature. In fact, there is at least one other Coris wrasse with a yellowtail. May I present Coris picta:

How about a fun, creative name that actually mentions its most striking and unique feature? May I be so bold?

 

[littlefoxx]

Wow I had no idea they went green! I thought the red and blue was the male colors. I think you need both! The female is beautiful

 

[Slocke]

Wow I had no idea they went green! I thought the red and blue was the male colors. I think you need both! The female is beautiful

I mean underwater photography shots are always meh. It’s hard to tell what they really look like. They get a bit of a stripe down the side and certainly do get greener.

As for having two I do actually have two as the seller sent me an extra but today the bigger one went all aggro and tried to get the smaller one. So the smaller has been moved to my peaceful tank to hopefully recover. You can kind of see both here.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Do these always turn male or is there a chance that they’ll stay as females?

 

[Slocke]

Do these always turn male or is there a chance that they’ll stay as females?

In a home aquarium they will almost certainly stay female. Thus why I used a picture from the wild for the male. Could not find a photo of a captive male.

 

[crazyfishmom]

In a home aquarium they will almost certainly stay female. Thus why I used a picture from the wild for the male. Could not find a photo of a captive male.

I love the female colors but the male is a bit… scary.

 

[Slocke]

I love the female colors but the male is a bit… scary.

This is a later female/early male. Doubt you’d get more then that in an aquarium.

 

[NanoNana]

The curse of a nano tank is that I can not have this fish.

 

[crazyfishmom]

This is a later female/early male. Doubt you’d get more then that in an aquarium.

Fine. Gorgeous!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Haha, this gave me a push I've been needing to keep working on a list I've been compiling of known bioluminescent marine organisms (it's been a ton of dense reading trying to compile it) - I've got a couple of common name suggestions to propose with it for not-so-common critters (I wouldn't be trying to change their names, though, so it's not as much of an uphill battle, haha).

 

[JoJosReef]

Hear hear!!

 

[Miami Reef]

I love the female colors but the male is a bit… scary.

It kinda looks like a Beluga Whale!

Are Galaxy wrasses reef safe? I want one!

 

[Slocke]

Haha, this gave me a push I've been needing to keep working on a list I've been compiling of known bioluminescent marine organisms (it's been a ton of dense reading trying to compile it) - I've got a couple of common name suggestions to propose with it for not-so-common critters (I wouldn't be trying to change their names, though, so it's not as much of an uphill battle, haha).

The revolution has started!! First the common name then I will be wiping Gaimard from history with the new Coris galaxea! (No I haven’t bothered looking up who Gaimard is or even if he/she is a person)

Just joking. I’ll settle for this wrasse coming up if you google “galaxy wrasse”.

 

[JoJosReef]

Are Galaxy wrasses reef safe? I want one!

 

[Slocke]

It kinda looks like a Beluga Whale!

Are Galaxy wrasses reef safe? I want one!

They will not eat your delicious corals. I guarantee that.
They will flip them over and kill them that way.

 

[EricR]

Nice!
...but I feel so harWrassed, since I don't have any.

 

[Slocke]

Nice!
...but I feel so harWrassed, since I don't have any.

We can be wrasseholes

 

[Miami Reef]

They will not eat your delicious corals. I guarantee that.
They will flip them over and kill them that way.

How about cleaner shrimp? lol

 

[Slocke]

How about cleaner shrimp? lol

Sadly once they get big enough it probably will.

 

[Slocke]

I really have a thing for what things are called, don't I?

Not Coris wrasse! This is becoming my biggest pet peeve...

This is Halichoeres chrysus. A small, reef safe, and very peaceful wrasse known for being beautiful, eating pests, and as a good community member. Credit @JoJosReef This is Halichoeres chloropterus. A larger and more aggressive wrasse but still fairly reef safe and good for bigger tanks and...

www.reef2reef.com

Worst named things in the hobby?

Lets start a fun conversation about the worst named things in the hobby. Could be fish, inverts, corals or equipment. What things have the most ironic names. My favorite is the foxface: This is a foxface: This is a fox's face: This is a badger's face:

www.reef2reef.com

Ignorance, laziness, or just a bigger issue with terrible naming?

This made me laugh today @i cant think @ISpeakForTheSeas @lion king @EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal maybe this will make you laugh too. Looks like a certain well known marine retail store has restored its online page and come up with this. Underneath batfish you will see what appears to be Ogcocephalus...

www.reef2reef.com