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Bell's flasher (Paracheilinus bellae) — Labridae

Bell's flasher

Paracheilinus bellae
Family: Labridae

The Bell's flasher (Paracheilinus bellae) is a saltwater fish of the family Labridae that grows up to 7 cm.

Length
6.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
18.0–31.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Bell's flasher is a flasher wrasse (Labridae) from reef water of the western Pacific. The species grows to about 7 cm and has an elongate, orange-red with blue lines body; courting males spectacularly spread their fins and flash colour in seconds to impress females. As a plankton feeder it hovers in loose schools above coral and rubble slopes and snaps at small zooplankton. Like many wrasses a female can change sex. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bell's flasher?

The Bell's flasher has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly red-orange.

Where does the Bell's flasher live?

The Bell's flasher lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Bell's flasher get?

The Bell's flasher grows to a maximum of about 7 cm.

Is the Bell's flasher dangerous to humans?

No, the Bell's flasher is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bellas flitslipvis sourced
English name
Bell's flasher sourced
Scientific name
Paracheilinus bellae
Family
Labridae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
6.5 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Red / orange sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
18.0 verified
Max depth (m)
31.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Paracheilinus

More from the family Labridae

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