Mysterious Fish

[Sygnath&Elasmos]

Ok so I have had this guy for well over eight months now, but the question of what it exactly is has finally reached a breaking point for me. The fish in question is from the south western coast of Australia, is seven inches long, and is orange and purple. The common name it was given by the divers was an orange eel-pout. While for most that may be enough, the marine biologist that I am cannot be satisfied with just that. I understand a picture far outways any verbal description but the rare instances that he comes out are few and far between. When he does however, he is very very fast. So pictures tend to be blurry. The best I have right now is a short video clip of him swimming. I am trying to get pictures as I type this. I will try and post a snapshot from the clip. Hopefully we can all come together and figure this out.

 

[Sygnath&Elasmos]

Pictures as promised. Sorry they are grainy.

 

[jdieck]

Look for Dipulus caecus

 

[Sk8r]

What a wonderful creature! Congratulations on him!

 

[Snowreefer]

whatever it is its sweet!

does it bother anything? Inverts or fish?

 

[Galilean]

It's some type of Brotula (Bythitidae). From the way it's moving I'd guess free-tailed (Dinematichthys?). Beyond that it's hard to say...these fish are so secretive it might well have been caught outside its known range.

 

[billsreef]

I do believe Jose nailed the Id.

http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/faunabase/_asp_bin/MapITcx.asp?d=Fishes&t=Dipulus caecus

 

[Angel*Fish]

He's gorgeous!

 

[Hormigaquatica]

I would.. third.. the Dipulus ID. Very interesting animals IMO. If I remember correctly, they are Temperate animals- not associated with tropical reefs; for long term success, you may want to keep it in a relativly cool tank.

 

[garbled]

I think AFM or FAMA just had an article on those in a very recent issue. I remember reading it a few weeks ago.

 

[Sygnath&Elasmos]

I almost wanna agree with the Diplus ID, but from what the diver told me this guy was collected further south than the range that was shown. Secondly, and I know my grainy pics don't help, his caudual fin is seperate from his dorsal and anal. The drawing they have up of Diplus looks the three are fused. I know he should be in a temperate climate, simply geography tells me that, but the 78 degree temp of my reef doesn't bother him in the eight months he has been in there. He looks fat, full, and happy.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9029287#post9029287 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Snowreefer
whatever it is its sweet!

does it bother anything? Inverts or fish?

No. Actually he doesn't, unless you count bristle worms. Since he has been in there the number of bristle worms has gone down drastically. He also seems to like frozen mysis and blood worms.

I wish you could see it but almost half his body is normally a more purple color, than that pic shows. Too bad he is so secretive I have such a nice camera that one good chance would give me one hell of a picture.

 

[ClamIAm]

If I remember right liveaquaria had one of these and had it ID'ed as Pholidichthys anguis , and even though I know they get scientific names wrong from time to time you can try looking into that.

 

[distallassazn]

n ice fish

 

[invincible569]

How is this fish doing?

 

[Kent E]

looks very simular to an engineer gobie but orange.

 

[cjchris47]

Check this out on liveaquaria

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?ddid=19085&siteid=20

 

[ReefJunkie21]

congrats..... I like him...hope hes doing good.

 

[ReefJunkie21]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9706603#post9706603 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cjchris47
Check this out on liveaquaria

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?ddid=19085&siteid=20

369.99....holy hell......just look at all he $$$ you jus saved.lol

 

[PogoMonogo]

are they related to Brotulus?

 

[iamwhatiam52]

How often do you see it?
I'de consider getting one even at the high cost if I thought I'de see it more than once a year.
It is definitely some sort of Brotulid, and most are cave dwellers. I have a yellow brotulid that I see only because it's in a nano with only one tube to hide in.