The Eightline Flasher Wrasse is most accurately identified as the Red Sea eightline flasher, Paracheilinus octotaenia Fourmanoir, 1955, a small marine, reef-associated wrasse from the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean. Adults reach a reported maximum total length of 9 cm and are recognized by eight continuous narrow dark stripes and a rounded tail. It is not the same species as Pseudocheilinus octotaenia, which is also sold or described under the common name “eightline wrasse.”
What the name “Eightline Flasher Wrasse” means
In taxonomic databases, the title most plausibly refers to Paracheilinus octotaenia Fourmanoir, 1955. ITIS places this fish in the wrasse family Labridae and lists its taxonomic standing as “valid.” FishBase uses the common name “Red Sea eightline flasher.” The genus matters: Paracheilinus is the flasher-wrasse group, whereas a different genus, Pseudocheilinus, contains another fish called the eightline wrasse.
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Common names are not controlled identifiers. A retailer, field guide or social-media post can use “eightline wrasse” without making clear which genus is meant. Before applying any information about appearance, range, diet or aquarium behavior, check that the scientific name is Paracheilinus octotaenia. A label that says only “eightline wrasse” is incomplete.
The species name is pronounced approximately “pair-uh-kye-LINE-us ock-toh-TEE-nee-uh.” The epithet octotaenia refers to eight bands, matching the most useful visual clue in adults.
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Eightline flasher versus the other “eightline wrasse”
Paracheilinus octotaenia and Pseudocheilinus octotaenia share the specific epithet and an overlapping common name, but they are separate species. The following comparison keeps the available evidence for each fish in its proper column.
| Feature | Eightline flasher | Other eightline wrasse |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Paracheilinus octotaenia Fourmanoir, 1955 | Pseudocheilinus octotaenia Jenkins, 1901 |
| Family | Labridae | Labridae |
| Documented common names | Red Sea eightline flasher; eightline flasher wrasse | Eightline Wrasse |
| Documented range | Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean records | Sources cited for this species include Hawaiian waters |
| Field marks in the cited records | Eight continuous narrow dark body stripes; rounded caudal fin; no prolonged dorsal soft rays | Reddish-to-yellowish body with about eight narrow purplish side stripes, upper stripes extending onto the head, small yellow cheek or gill-cover spots and occasional yellow blotches |
| Maximum size reported in the cited sources | 9 cm total length | Not established by the sources used for this article |
| Diet and spawning details | No comparably detailed species-specific account was established in the cited material | Hawai‘i documentation describes reef-invertebrate feeding, diurnal activity, mating pairs and broadcast spawning |
The distinction is more than a naming technicality. The Hawaiian environmental assessment’s diet, behavior, reproduction and population figures belong to Pseudocheilinus octotaenia. They must not be presented as facts about the Red Sea eightline flasher.
How to identify Paracheilinus octotaenia
Eight narrow, continuous stripes
FishBase’s field-guide description emphasizes eight continuous, narrow dark stripes along the body. Look for stripes that read as a connected body pattern rather than isolated spots or broken bars. Color can shift with lighting, stress, age and photographic processing, so stripe arrangement is more dependable than a single shade in a photograph.
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The cited records describe a rounded caudal fin and no prolonged dorsal soft rays. A strongly rounded tail is therefore a useful clue when separating this fish from a similarly striped wrasse. The 2022 Western Indian Ocean volume adds a sex-related detail: males have a strongly rounded caudal fin, while females have a truncate to slightly rounded caudal fin. Tail shape can consequently vary within the species, and a less rounded female should not be rejected solely on that feature.
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Fin-ray and sex differences
The Western Indian Ocean account records fin-ray counts and differences in fin shape between sexes, but the supplied material does not provide a complete fin-ray key suitable for identification from a casual aquarium photograph. Use the scientific name and geographic provenance first; treat fin shape as supporting evidence rather than a stand-alone diagnosis.
Size
FishBase reports a maximum total length of 9 cm. “Total length” includes the fish’s body and caudal fin, so it is not the same as standard length measured to the base of the tail. The figure is a reported maximum, not a promise that every specimen reaches that size or that a captive fish will do so.
Where it lives
Paracheilinus octotaenia is a marine, reef-associated fish. FishBase gives a usual depth interval of 5–45 m. The range is centered on the Red Sea and extends into the western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
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The 2022 Western Indian Ocean fish volume records the species in the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba to at least Farasan Bank, and in the Gulf of Aden. These named localities help explain why “Red Sea eightline flasher” is a more informative common name than the unqualified “eightline wrasse.” A specimen described as coming from the western Pacific, Hawai‘i or another distant region deserves a name check before it is accepted as this species.
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A verified museum locality
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History record documents two specimens identified as Paracheilinus octotaenia collected in the Red Sea at 18–21 m on 28 September 1969. The record was last modified on 23 April 2021. This is a specimen record, not a claim that the species occurs at only that depth; it sits within the broader 5–45 m usual interval reported by FishBase.
What is known about behavior, diet and reproduction
The available species-specific material is much stronger for identity, range and external features than for natural-history detail. That imbalance is important for anyone planning to keep or photograph the fish.
Do not import the Hawaiian feeding account
The Hawai‘i environmental assessment says Pseudocheilinus octotaenia eats reef invertebrates including mollusks, sea urchins, fish eggs and crab larvae. It also describes that species as diurnal and forming distinct mating pairs. Those observations are not evidence for Paracheilinus octotaenia. The shared “eightline” name is the reason the transfer is tempting, but the genera are different.
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Spawning information is for the other species
The same Hawaiian assessment describes broadcast spawning in Pseudocheilinus octotaenia: males and females release gametes into the water column, fertilized eggs float near the surface and hatching occurs in 20–30 hours. No species-specific corroboration in the cited material supports assigning that timing or spawning behavior to the Red Sea eightline flasher. A responsible species profile should leave the flasher’s reproductive timing open rather than filling the gap with data from its namesake.
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What “flasher” does and does not establish
The word “flasher” places the fish in a group known for display-related naming, but the cited records here do not establish a measured display sequence, courtship schedule or social structure for this species. Do not infer a guaranteed flashing performance, pair bond or reef-invertebrate menu from the common name alone.
Conservation status and population numbers
FishBase’s field-guide page reports an IUCN category of Least Concern, with an assessment date of 25 March 2009. That date should accompany the status: it is an older assessment record, not a newly verified 2026 evaluation. “Least Concern” also does not mean that every local population is stable or that collection has no effect; it is a global category based on the assessment available at that time.
No current, species-wide population count for Paracheilinus octotaenia is established in the cited material. A figure sometimes encountered in connection with “eightline wrasse” is “689,221 individuals,” an estimate for the island of Hawai‘i at 0–98 feet in 2016, reported in a 2018 Hawai‘i environmental assessment. That estimate applies to Pseudocheilinus octotaenia, not the Red Sea eightline flasher, and it is geographically and depth limited. It must not be used as this species’ abundance.
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The fish is a small marine, reef-associated species, so any aquarium discussion belongs in a saltwater context. However, the cited sources do not establish a robust species-specific tank-size recommendation, compatibility chart, quarantine protocol or feeding schedule for Paracheilinus octotaenia. Giving an exact volume or promising peaceful behavior would imply evidence that is not available here.
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For a prospective keeper, the practical conclusion is to treat identification and sourcing as the first husbandry tasks:
- Obtain the scientific name Paracheilinus octotaenia in writing, not just “eightline wrasse.”
- Ask for collection locality or export documentation; Red Sea or Gulf of Aden provenance is consistent with the documented range.
- Compare the fish with the eight-stripe and tail characters, while allowing for the documented difference between male and female tail shape.
- Request the seller’s acclimation and feeding history rather than assuming that advice for Pseudocheilinus octotaenia transfers.
- Use established marine-fish quarantine and observation practices appropriate to your system, but label any schedule or medication choice as general aquarium risk management, not a published prescription for this species.
A general search for marine aquarium fish food may be relevant to a saltwater setup, but no particular formula or feeding frequency has been validated by the cited species records. Start with foods and portioning recommended by an experienced marine aquarist who has handled Paracheilinus species, then monitor body condition and feeding response instead of treating a generic “eightline wrasse” profile as authoritative.
How to verify a listing or photograph
- Read the binomial. Confirm that the label says Paracheilinus octotaenia, not Pseudocheilinus octotaenia.
- Check the geography. A Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Farasan Bank or Gulf of Aden origin fits the documented distribution. A different ocean basin requires additional taxonomic support.
- Count the stripes. Look for eight continuous narrow dark body stripes, not merely eight irregular blotches.
- Inspect the tail. A rounded caudal fin supports the identification, while remembering that females may be truncate to slightly rounded.
- Separate identity from care claims. A correct name does not automatically validate a tank-size, diet or temperament statement copied from a page about the other eightline wrasse.
Quick reference
| Question | Answer for the Red Sea eightline flasher |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Paracheilinus octotaenia Fourmanoir, 1955 |
| Family | Labridae |
| Environment | Marine and reef-associated |
| Usual depth | 5–45 m, according to FishBase |
| Range | Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean records; Red Sea records extend from the Gulf of Aqaba to at least Farasan Bank |
| Maximum reported total length | 9 cm |
| Key appearance | Eight continuous narrow dark stripes; rounded caudal fin in the general description |
| Sex-related fin difference | Males strongly rounded caudal fin; females truncate to slightly rounded caudal fin |
| IUCN record | Least Concern; assessment date reported as 25 March 2009 |
| Species-specific aquarium protocol | Not established in the cited material |
Bottom line
When someone says “Eightline Flasher Wrasse,” use Paracheilinus octotaenia as the working identity and verify it against the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean range, eight continuous dark stripes and the rounded-tail profile. Keep every fact about Pseudocheilinus octotaenia—including the Hawaiian diet, spawning account and population estimate—separate. The flasher’s identity, size and distribution are documented; detailed captive-care prescriptions remain less firmly established, so accurate naming and cautious sourcing are more reliable than recycled generic “eightline wrasse” advice.
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