Post your rare and/or prized fish

[bu11itt]

So I was looking through the Diver's Den over at Live Aquaria and noticed the quite expensive (as I'm sure everyone else here has) Dr. Seuss Soapfish.

I was wondering what could possibly drive this price of this fish up so high (unless maybe it gets out of the tank and makes you dinner every night) and it dawned on me, "rarity".

So I was wondering who out there has rare, beautiful, prized fish that they would like to share pictures and information about.

 

[nyquist]

that is a beautiful looking fish!

but a lot of the time, "rare" can mean a fish is hard to keep alive for long outside of its natural environment (and dies off quickly, in turn driving supply down and price up) or a fish that isn't typically found in reefs; in this case I think the dr. seuss soap fish is typically a deep water fish so may satisfy both of those criteria :/

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

A lot of rare fish are hard to find and capture. Some are found only in places that are difficult to access (far from normal commercial flight paths). Many are deep water fish whose capture is difficult for the diver and the fish.

 

[blacktangs]

i talked to a fish store owner in san jose and he told me a gem tang is over 3k. i have never seen one in person or known any store to carry one. anyone?

 

[namxas]

Our rarest by virtue of availability, esp. on the mainland...Pterois sphex, one of the two lionfish indigenous to the HI Islands (the other being Dendrochirus barberi):

Rare due to extremely poor survival rates in captivity:

Parapterois heterura (bluefin/blackfoot lionfish):

orange-spotted file fish (we weaned this pair ourselves):

Not really rare, but this specimen is exceptional:

Rhinopias frondosa (weedy scorpionfish):

 

[rssjsb]

Greg, that frondy is gorgeous. Has it kept it's color?

I've got a pair of orange-spotted files, a multibar angel, a potter's angel, singapore angel, and a solorensis boxfish. None are that exotic but they are (or at least used to be) thought to be difficult to get adapted.

 

[namxas]

Our frondies tend to keep their color or even become more intense, but our Eschmeyer changed several times...went from tang yellow to "tequila sunrise" to purple/pink (it was kept in a tank with lots of coralline).

 

[bu11itt]

Greg, those are some beautiful fish and amazing camera work; what equipment did you use and how did you capture such great pictures?

Also, I have always loved the orange spotted file fish (being a big fan of the Gulf brand they are just the perfect color combo) but I always understood they were quite hard to keep. What are your recommendations for successfully keeping this fish?

Finally, there have been some very interesting points regarding what actually makes a fish rare and that some of the "œrare" fish are better left in their natural environment; so does anybody have pictures of their not-necessarily-rare but prized fish they'd like to share?

 

[c.declivisowner]

Chevron Tang,Marcella or Marcellae Butterfly and Declivis Butterfly

http://s1059.photobucket.com/albums/t437/blackdeath6544/?action=view&current=002-2.jpg

http://s1059.photobucket.com/albums/t437/blackdeath6544/?action=view&current=004.jpg

http://s1059.photobucket.com/albums/t437/blackdeath6544/?action=view&current=006.jpg

 

[mil hse]

I have 2 chevron tangs that have started to pr up ill try to get a pic up and I have 2 blotched anthias also. And like stated most "expensive" fish are hard to collect. Some have to be collected by a sub

 

[ramdude]

That scorpion fish is awesome looking. I just seen one the other day, But just a plain tan color one. Look's great !!!!!

 

[trinidiver]

I love my Geometric Pygmy Hawkfish.

 

[namxas]

Greg, those are some beautiful fish and amazing camera work; what equipment did you use and how did you capture such great pictures?

Some of the pix were shot with a Canon 40D using either a 50mm f 1.4 or a 100 mm f 2.8 macro. Others were shot with a Canon 5D Mk II, same lenses. A tripod and normal aquarium lighting were used for all photos. My wife (seahorsedreams) shoots about 99% of our pix.

Also, I have always loved the orange spotted file fish (being a big fan of the Gulf brand they are just the perfect color combo) but I always understood they were quite hard to keep. What are your recommendations for successfully keeping this fish?

That was a LOT of work...I believe Renee (seahorsedreams) has a thread here about it. We got some browned-out acros just to get the fish eating something, then began smearing various foods on a coral skeleton to see what the fish picked at. Each small peck was a victory. We kept the fish in our bedroom, and Renee used to hide under the covers and peek out to see if the fish were eating. Once they start eating, they typically become pigs.

Finally, there have been some very interesting points regarding what actually makes a fish rare and that some of the "œrare" fish are better left in their natural environment; so does anybody have pictures of their not-necessarily-rare but prized fish they'd like to share?

Check out Our Gallery for more interesting fish.

 

[mil hse]

see if this works.. not really good at posting pics. But here are my 2 pr of semi rare. Hope you enjoy and sorry for the crappy phone pics there in holding tanks(which are in the process of being torn apart) until my 120 is up and going.

 

[rad1687]

I just ordered a weaned orange spotted filefish from divers den today and cannot wait to get him next week!

 

[tylersarah]

i talked to a fish store owner in san jose and he told me a gem tang is over 3k. i have never seen one in person or known any store to carry one. anyone?

I saw one on Diver's Den last week, probably still there. And you guessed it, $3k

 

[mil hse]

Had my eye on that gem... Little out of my price range right now. But a BEAUTIFUL fish in my opinion..

 

[havoc79]

namxas you have some very nice lions, scorpion,and file fish posted and your gallery of pics is sweet those all your fish if so very cool