With the recent posts dedicated to rare fish, I’ve been hit with many e-mails asking where they can be attained. Many times when it comes to these rarities it’s about timing and opportunity. Like many of you nearly every evening after dinner I head over to LiveAquaria’s Diver’s Den to see if Kevin Kohen and the LA [...]
With the recent posts dedicated to rare fish, I’ve been hit with many e-mails asking where they can be attained. Many times when it comes to these rarities it’s about timing and opportunity.
Like many of you nearly every evening after dinner I head over to LiveAquaria’s Diver’s Den to see if Kevin Kohen and the LA team have posted some new rare livestock. Today as I was checking I couldn’t believe some of the fish that are still available and not sold!
The good news for these fish is they have had adequate time to adapt to captivity. The bad news is there seems to be no interest in these beauties! This is not necessarily bad news, but it is a reflection of aquarists here in the States. In my opinion, all of these should have sold within hours of being posted. Many of the rarest fish are ignored because they are not trendy of have a high price tag, here’s some to consider:
Here’s my list of 5 rare, handsome, and skipped over specimens currently available.
#1 Chaetodon mitratus this tiny juvenile is only 1.75″, need I say more? This is a hardy and beautiful butterfly perfect for the advanced aquarist that is ready to add a rare fish to their reef.
#2 Liopropoma multilineatum, The Many Lined Basslet is a beautiful and unusual Liopropoma species that is often overshadowed by it’s relatives L. carambi and L. swalesi. This striking fish is not commonly offered or collected, but LiveAquaria.com added another one to their Diver’s Den line up. The specimen below has been posted on Diver’s Den since August 26th!
#3 Prognathodes marcellae, The Marcellae Butterfly hails from West Africa and is another rare, but often ignored fish. The strong dorsal spines and golden coloration make this a true show stopper. Some may recognize the shape of this fish, as it is very similar to Prognathodes aya.
#4 Urocaridella sp., This striking ornamental shrimp may not command the same price as the fish above, but it is still a choice invertebrate! Shrimps like these are not commonly offered for sale in the States.
#5 Zebrasom gemmatum, The Gem Tang is well… expensive, but I do find them alluring and sophisticated. The price on Gem Tangs will not be changing soon, and for that reason they are often skipped over or mocked. This fish slid on the list just before the Joculator Pygmy Angel, only because of the different shape and color when compared to the previously listed fish. Some say they would rather have a Yellow Tang than a Gem, but not me. If this fish wasn’t so cost prohibitive I think they would be a very popular species.
These 5 animals would make an impressive stocking list for any tank. They will likely sit at LiveAquaria for awhile longer, but they are worth highlighting as thousands of people pass over them each night during their evening check of new Diver’s Den additions.
