Peppermint Angelfish

[Blue Ring Sting]

Hi All

I have read a very interesting thread on the forum relating to the peppermint angelfish and from my understanding that there have only been 2 of them collected since Chip did, 20 years ago.

I know that Richard and Chip collected one each and those are the only 2 collected and that the one is being kept by a customer in Japan and the other one is at the Waikiki aquarium on display.

Knowing this I am aware that you need to be able to dive up to those depths of 300+ ft and certain special equipment is required such as a rebreather and those depths alone are extremely dangerous.

I am extremely fascinated with the peppermint angelfish and I love to google them every now and then and just have a look at the pictures. The strange thing for me if there is 2 in captivity, why are there so many different pictures of them?

I have been in contact with a company in Japan and they have the Peppermint Angelfish ( Centropyge Boylei ) on their stock list as well as the narcosis angelfish ( Centropyge Narcosis ). I have contacted them but the language barrier makes it so difficult for us to have a conversation.

On the website I found pictures of these fish and they are not any that I have seen on the web before.

Can someone please answer the following:

Is it possible that someone else could be collecting these fish?
Is it possible that Chip or Rich might be collecting and selling to a Japanese supplier? Has anyone else seen those images before?

I will keep in contact with the supplier in Japan and find out some more information.

Please see the pictures.




If Richard and Chip are the only 2 collecting them, I pressume that there will be major news if a peppermint and narcosis manages to surface.

 

[small alien]

Interesting post.

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

Thank you @ small alien.

Its been bugging me for quite a while as I have seen certain websites and forums that make "rare" fish rarer.

Things like clarions, conspics, femininus wrasse, joculators and black tangs. I do not believe they are as rare as people say.

 

[michael_cb_125]

The Yellow angel is a Juvenile Flagfin (Apolemichthys trimaculatus), not Narcosis
and the Peppermints look "fishy" to me.....


~Michael

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

Your right sorry about that. I will try and upload the correct image now. The peppermint looks real. The tank its being kept in looks atrocious though.

 

[Vili_Shark]

Thank you @ small alien.

Its been bugging me for quite a while as I have seen certain websites and forums that make "rare" fish rarer.

Things like clarions, conspics, femininus wrasse, joculators and black tangs. I do not believe they are as rare as people say.

Clarions are not rare, they been collected 100's per shipment, they are just found is a very remote island and need special permits which makes them hard to get, but not rare.

Jocs are not rare, you can order 100pcs right now and you're going to get it, same as Clarions, they are found far, Cocos Isl, but there's a collector there, and he ships frequently , so no permits issues here.

Conspics are not rare either.

I guess even Boylei are not rare, but that's an assumption , the thing with them is that they're so deep.
But Rufus and crew saw a couple in French Polynesia which make them more wide spread than first thought.

 

[dvmsn]

That site has listed them for years, but if you ask they say it is "unavailable"

 

[Yurivd]

The most realistic way to get one is to pay Rufus Kimura to go and collect sum

 

[MimicOcto8]

Very pretty

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

@ Vili Shark. I know the divers that collect the clarions, conspics and joculators. They are able to send out full shipments of them. If you have a look at certain sites though a Gem Tang is listed as super rare!!! and femininus wrass is super rare!!! Is this a sales technique to fool us? I have been speaking with Rufus and have admired his diving and collecting abilities. From what I have read is that they were only found in Moorea and that was it but since they are being seen in the French Polynesia who knows where else they can be. The depth of these fish alone make them extremely rare as only a handful of people can actually get them.

@ dvmsn. Can you please PM what site it is and I will see if it is the same one. Its not Koji that I am referring to.

@ Yurivd. I think that could work. Its a bit of a long shot though. If there was an opportunity to collect them I am sure that Rufus, Chip or Richard would do so. I watched a clip on youtube where the Waikiki aquarium had a number of calls offering them $ 30 000 for the peppermint. If there is a demand for these fish at that price I am sure that those guys would of went down and collected them already? I will enquire though and see firstly if it is possible to get me one and also what it would cost.

Recently on a episode of fish tank kings where the crew redid a tank for a sin city recording studio, Francis's fish stocking portfolio included a peppermint and then Ben priced it and said " that's a $ 20 000 fish". Nothing was mentioned about the difficulty obtaining them.

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

@ Vili Shark. I know the divers that collect the clarions, conspics and joculators. They are able to send out full shipments of them. If you have a look at certain sites though a Gem Tang is listed as super rare!!! and femininus wrass is super rare!!! Is this a sales technique to fool us? I have been speaking with Rufus and have admired his diving and collecting abilities. From what I have read is that they were only found in Moorea and that was it but since they are being seen in the French Polynesia who knows where else they can be. The depth of these fish alone make them extremely rare as only a handful of people can actually get them.

@ dvmsn. Can you please PM what site it is and I will see if it is the same one. Its not Koji that I am referring to.

@ Yurivd. I think that could work. Its a bit of a long shot though. If there was an opportunity to collect them I am sure that Rufus, Chip or Richard would do so. I watched a clip on youtube where the Waikiki aquarium had a number of calls offering them $ 30 000 for the peppermint. If there is a demand for these fish at that price I am sure that those guys would of went down and collected them already? I will enquire though and see firstly if it is possible to get me one and also what it would cost.

Recently on a episode of fish tank kings where the crew redid a tank for a sin city recording studio, Francis's fish stocking portfolio included a peppermint and then Ben priced it and said " that's a $ 20 000 fish". Nothing was mentioned about the difficulty obtaining them.

 

[Olivier_Fr]

It's Daichii jp, no? but they are wholesaler only for Japan, and there are enough customers and rare fish collector there. They never want to export fish.
I know these peppermint photos for more than 2 years. I think it's an old catching?

And you have right, if guys can put 30000$, there must be a big waiting list !

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

It is Daichii Japan. Yeah Japan and Hong Kong are the hubs to where the rare fish go. I wish I could offer them like 10 gem tangs for a peppermint!!! :eek1: I would do that in a heart beat.

Is it possible that this is the same peppermint that went to Japan all those years ago? If not, when was that one caught? and how is it possible that I went undetected. There are alot of angelfish freaks in the world and as soon as one of these are removed from the ocean they will know. So if Daichii was able to get it, where and when did they get it?

I will find out from the deep sea collectors if they will be able to get me one. I really hope it is a possibility and depending on the final price??? We will need to see if one will be fit for my aquarium and my budget......

 

[SDguy]

@ Vili Shark. I know the divers that collect the clarions, conspics and joculators. They are able to send out full shipments of them. If you have a look at certain sites though a Gem Tang is listed as super rare!!! and femininus wrass is super rare!!! Is this a sales technique to fool us?

I think you are reading way too much into this. From your average aquarists perspective, these are rare fish, in the sense that they are not as commonly available as yellow tangs and flame angels. Depending on where you live, it's possible you might never see one of these fish in person just by walking into a LFS. I don't think anyone that is buying one of these fish is being "fooled" into anything by a written description, which, as I explained, is technically accurate, from a certain perspective.

 

[Yurivd]

Rufus had collected one in Tahiti it never made the flight back to Hawaii

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

@ SDguy. For your average aquarist those fish are rare, fair enough. The LFS who is doing the purchasing knows otherwise, depending on location of course if a certain LFS wants something they are able to get it. They know the truth behind the rarity to a specific fish.

For example, your feeling on a gem tang may be seen as a wish list fish that one day you may want to acquire but to me it is alot more common to where I stay and would be added to my tank as " just another fish " and not a " prized catch ". My point is if you approach your LFS and tell them what you want the chances are that they will be able to get that fish for you is pretty good. Pricing may be an issue but you will be able to get it.

@Yurivd. That is amazing, I never heard anything about it. How long ago was it?

 

[SDguy]

That would be why they don't describe the fish as "unobtainable"

 

[geaux xman]

BlueRing, you must have a very nice tank? What kind of fish do you have?

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

@ SDguy. Lol. Good point. Its just you dont know what is a prized fish anymore. I always look for something different.

@ geaux man. I try to keep my tank looking the best at all times but due to the nature of my business I dont keep my fish that long. Recent fish that has moved through my system was a conspic angel, clarion angel, femininus wrasse, bandit angelfish, interruptus, joculators, mitratus, black tangs, gem tangs are always available and kept in and a pair of cross hatch triggers. I need something different.

 

[Olivier_Fr]

oh ! i'm very impatient to see photos of your tank and mainly your fish !!