Bizaaro Trigger. Red tail or blue throat? Maybe both....

RVANANO

SWAGON
Very strange....

I have been wanting a Sargassum trigger for over a year. I had a 34 Solana and upgraded to a 120 recently. The LFS got about 6 of them in and I kept going to see them. I picked one out that I liked as it was the smallest and seemed to have the best personality. It was also not a jumper.

Unfortunately I didn't have the funds but.... My fiancee knew how bad I wanted it and they only had my choice left so she got it for me as an early Bday present.

I went to go see it the day before it came home and it looked great. Light silvery grey color with dark spots, reddish tail, 3 blue lines on face, clear top and bottom fins with black at the base where the fins meet the body.

Looked the same in the bag when I put it in the tank. When released, it immediately went to hide as they all do.

Last night I snapped this photo. When I looked at it on my computer, it looks as if it is a blue throat. How could this be? The LFS doesn't even get blue throats. They always get Sargassums. And as stated, I have been watching this particular fish for weeks and was 100% sure it is in fact a Sargassum. I talked with the LFS owner and he is also 100% sure it is a Sargassum. He also stated if it is a weird hybrid or anything else that he would make it right so no deception there. Besides I had been looking at a blue throat at the other LFS and know the two look very different.

So what are your thoughts. In the local forum people are blown away by this photo. Especially the smoking gun markings on the face (3 blue lines). It could just be a reflection but I thought I saw the blue on the jaw even when he swam to a different spot under that huge 20+ lb rock.

I cannot wait to get some photos when she comes out of hiding. Regardless what she is, I will be happy as I was torn b/t the two species all along :)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14049800@N00/4582178751/" title="IMG_8029 by RVAE34, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4582178751_8812df5492_o.jpg" width="1025" height="731" alt="IMG_8029" /></a>
 
It is a small developing male Blue Jaw. Sargassums have black spots, Blue Jaws have white/silver spots. Sargassums only in habit the Atlantic and Blue Jaws only the Pacific so no hybridization can happen.

Here is my old small BJ who appears to be the same size.



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FEMALE Bluethroat.

I don't know why you guys think it's a male and I've never heard of a developing male trigger...

p-74851-blue-throat-trigger.jpg
 
My female blue throat shows absolutely no sign of a blue throat at all. Since that fish does have a blue throat, it is male.
 
B/c I didn't pick it up from the LFS. My fiancee did. And those pics are the from the first time I have seen the fish out from hiding. I was charged Sargassum price. Which means the owner owes me a credit and an explanation :)
 
yes he does, thats definitely a blue throat. Sargassum has dark markings down its sides whereas the blue throat has light markings. And of course the blue throat is a dead give away.
 
In your original post you said all they had left was your choice and that you saw the fish in the bag before it went in your tank. Im not trying to start anything just saying what you posted, that is without a doubt a blue throat and the store owner does indeed owe you money or credit back.
 
FEMALE Bluethroat.

I don't know why you guys think it's a male and I've never heard of a developing male trigger

Its definitely a male. Never heard of a developing trigger before huh? Ever see a 2" male crosshatch? There's a reason why all the males you see are huge, they develop later.
 
I saw it for a few minutes inside a bag under my T5's as I always turn the MH's off when introducing new stuff. Before that I had seen the fish in the store the day before but did not see the actual fish going from the LFS tank into the bag so I could not be 100% positive it was the very same fish. Even though the owner said so.

I just hope it has a good personality b/c the Sargassums always seem to. This little guy started coming out last night so hopefully it will continue to do so. I have read many who say blue throats always hide.
 
Personally i prefer blue throats even though it is a cheaper fish. I have owned 3 and all 3 had quite a bit of personality and learned to follow me around the tank like a dog.
 
That is what I am hoping. I actually thought about having one of each so..... :)

BTW, Nice Maseratti in the photo. One of my clients just took delivery of a brand new white convertible. I got to drive a Grand Sport last year. Awesome!!!
 
Im an auto tech and even though i cant afford one i can still appreciate a Maserati, I have driven both the 4 door and the coupe and love them.

Good luck with the trigger, hope he turns out to be what you wanted.
 
As everyone says it is a blue throat with out a doubt, but it is a gorgeous fish! good buy even tho it wasnt want you exactly wanted!
 
I just got a fish that looks identical to this from a guy that swore it was a sargassum too (has some blue around the mouth also). It also has a rusty red tail like the one in the picture and light spots. When I asked if it could be a female blue throat, he said no it looked different from blue throats he'd owned (huh, don't think so, but I have the fish in hand now). My question is, don't male blue throats have yellow tails? Do female blue throats have any blue in the face and how red are their tails? Mine also has the blue ring around the eyes just like a blue throat also. Luckily I paid less than the sargassum price, but a high blue throat price if it is a female (it's around 3"-4").
 
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