Mysterious Fish

Okay so I know its been a while since I originally posted this, but to answer some questions the closest family we can get it to is the brotulids. The genus escapes me at the moment. The University of Tampa and Yale icthyologists i sent the descriptions and photos to currently have no species name for it as of yet. He actually has a selected den up under the main portion of my reef but at night he comes out. He actually skulks around the rock work along the bottom of the tank. My melatremous and him actually share the same den and get along great. I couldn't find the fish you guys were takin about on liveaquaria, but I know that his wholesale cost was wbout 400 after freight charges. The place I got him from prolly would have sold him right around 800 - 850. Temp still proves to be no problem. He is something else especially when he undulateshis fins and just hovers above the sand.

How sweet would it be to do all the description work and name this thing after me?
 
Two months ago I got one and tonight is the first time I have seen it. Just a glimps of it deep in the rockwork.

IT'S ALIVE!

I hope it becomes bold enough to show itself from time to time.
 
So after some time, paitence, and care I have a better understanding of what it is. It is not Dipulus caecus because he has three seperate fins and he also lacks the opercular spine that D. caecus has. If it was D. caecus the purple could just be an abarent color morph, but even the soft ray count tells me and the people I have been working with it is not D. caecus. So its now official I am gonna begin working on the new species paper and begin the naming process. I am keeping him in the Dipulus genus since the general body plan is the same. He has become more active at night now that he has moved into a 75 gallon tank and actually patrols the top, middle, and bottom of the tank. The eel and him no longer share a den. He now shares it with a bullet goby, but it works out since the goby is out al day and the "mystery fish" is out at night. He doesn't bother any of my corals, and he has stopped eating my hermits. My other fish don't bother him and he doesn't bother them....not even the seahorses.

I am not gonna release the scientific name until I have heard that the paper is getting published. I appreciate all of your help and your admiration of this little beauty who is now 8 and a half inches long. Making him longer than D. caecus. My brother keeps joking that one morning I am gonna go to move a rock and his is gonna be like three feet long. I hope that is stays wrong.
 
where did you get that creature. Obviously it's not common but killer fish. If you ever see one again lmk I would dedicate my entire 135 for him. I hope I someday have a completely unique creature like you do
 
Unfortunately this fish has since passed away. Final standard length 13 inches. Paper is still under construction its been a rough year for me with lots of interuptions occurring. When I finish the paper and it is published believe that I will create an entire thread about it in which I will thank all of you for your help.

I got him from a wholesale vendor I used to order from when I worked at a private shop in Tampa. I hope one day I can manage to find another one.
 
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