Cirrhilabrus wakanda
{{short description|Species of fairy wrasse}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Cirrhilabrus wakanda (10.3897-zookeys.863.35580) Figure 4.jpg
| image_caption = male (top), transitional (middle), female (bottom)
| taxon = Cirrhilabrus wakanda
| authority = Tea, Pinheiro, Shepherd & L. A. Rocha, 2019
}}
Cirrhilabrus wakanda, the vibranium fairy wrasse,{{Cite web|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/black-panther-wakanda-fish|title=New species of 'vibranium' wrasse fish named for Marvel's Black Panther|last=Weiss|first=Josh|date=2019-07-12|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en|access-date=24 October 2019}}{{Fishbase|Cirrhilabrus|wakanda|month=August|year=2019}} is a species of fairy wrasse from mesophotic reefs at depths of {{cvt|50-100|m}} in the western Indian Ocean off Tanzania and Mozambique.{{Cite journal|last1=Tea|first1=Yi-Kai|last2=Pinheiro|first2=Hudson T.|last3=Shepherd|first3=Bart|last4=Rocha|first4=Luiz A.|date=2019-07-11|title=Cirrhilabrus wakanda, a new species of fairy wrasse from mesophotic ecosystems of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa (Teleostei, Labridae)|url=https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/35580/|journal=ZooKeys|issue=863|pages=85–96|doi=10.3897/zookeys.863.35580|issn=1313-2970|pmc=6639353|pmid=31341393|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal | last1=Tea | first1=Y.-K. | last2=Najeeb | first2=A. | last3=Rowlett | first3=J. | last4=Rocha | first4=L.A. | authorlink4=Luiz A. Rocha | title=Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa (Teleostei, Labridae), a new species of fairy wrasse from the Maldives, with comments on the taxonomic identity of C. rubrisquamis and C. wakanda | year=2022 | journal=ZooKeys | issue=1088 | pages=65–80 |doi=10.3897/zookeys.1088.78139 | doi-access=free }} It was first collected off the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania by scientists from the California Academy of Sciences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/a-fish-called-wakanda|title=A fish called Wakanda|last=SCIMEX|date=11 July 2019|website=Scimex|language=en|access-date=24 October 2019}} Its separation from the very similar C. rubrisquamis of the Chagos Islands needs confirmation.
Etymology
The species is named after the fictional sovereign state Wakanda from Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.{{Cite web|url=https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2019/07/12/a-fish-called-wakanda-a-new-species-of-fairy-wrasse.html|title=A fish called Wakanda a new species of fairy wrasse|website=The University of Sydney|language=en-AU|access-date=24 October 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://face2faceafrica.com/article/rare-colourful-vibranium-fish-found-off-coast-of-tanzania-named-wakanda|title=Rare colourful 'vibranium' fish found off coast of Tanzania named Wakanda|date=2019-07-13|website=Face2Face Africa|language=en|access-date=24 October 2019}}
Description
Based on a small number of measured specimens, C. wakanda is up to about {{cvt|7|cm}} in standard length. The body is moderately elongated and compressed. Males have yellow heads, with purple and blue bodies. Females and juveniles are very similar. Both sexes have a pair of prominent facial stripes above and below the orbit; and both sexes have notable purple scales and elements that persist and stain purple. A purple chain-link scale pattern is present, resembling the suit worn by the fictional superhero, Black Panther.{{Cite journal|last1=Rocha|first1=Luiz A.|last2=Shepherd|first2=Bart|last3=Pinheiro|first3=Hudson T.|last4=Tea|first4=Yi-Kai|date=2019-11-07|title=Cirrhilabrus wakanda, a new species of fairy wrasse from mesophotic ecosystems of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa (Teleostei, Labridae)|url=https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/35580/|journal=ZooKeys|language=en|issue=863|pages=85–96|doi=10.3897/zookeys.863.35580|pmid=31341393|pmc=6639353|issn=1313-2970|doi-access=free}}
Species comparison
In comparison with other closely related species in the genus, the mitochondrial DNA of Cirrhilabrus wakanda differs from C. rubrisquamis by 0.6%, from C. blatteus by 1.9%, and from C. sanguineus by 1.5%. Small genetic differences between closely related fairy wrasses are not unusual. A later review found that the "C. rubrisquamis" used for comparison were from the population found to be a separate species, C. finifenmaa, in 2022. Consequently, a detailed, direct comparison with true C. rubrisquamis is lacking, but their appearance is very similar and it is possible that C. wakanda is a junior synonym of C. rubrisquamis.