Questions on S. Virgatus

[BrianD]

Ok, check this out. This is a picture I found of s. doliatus

Almost the exact same picture (it just looks like it has been inverted) appears under the description s. virgatus on the website of Vivid Aquarium (the only place I could find one for sale).

http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=01-2512-S

I can't paste the image because it is protected.

Here is a pic of s. virgatus for Henry's article in RK:

I have found comments that these two species are often confused, but to me they look nothing alike.

Anyone have first hand experience?

 

[Wolverine]

Re: Questions on S. Virgatus

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7809030#post7809030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BrianD
I have found comments that these two species are often confused, but to me they look nothing alike.

Anyone have first hand experience?

I don't know this for sure, but I can imagine why (read: this is pure conjecture and educated guessing).
Rabbitfishes can change their coloration/pallor pretty quickly, but usually the body color, IME, changes more than the head. They both have the faint blue lines/dots on the face.

Since they have the same general shape and size, if you have them in a bin of stressed out fish at a store, they'll all have that stressed body color, and you're stuck relying on the face patterns to distinguish them. It would be a lot harder then.

Dave

 

[BrianD]

Thanks Dave. It is definitely confusing. I am going to request that the vendor send me a pic of the specimen they have.

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

Brian -great choice of a fish BTW, either species make great reef tank inhabitants. I have a doliatus and it is a wildly chromatic fish depending on its mood. It can go from a dark charcoal grey with no other colors visible to a near silver color with almost no blue or yellow showing. It can also go to a dark mottled camo pattern and blends right in with the liverock, very hard to spot. When he is happy and swimming around he looks exactly like the top pic in your post with the blue and yellow-orange lines, a very beautiful fish.

When you see those blue/yellow lines on the body it's a doli, the virgatus lacks these, generally has a more pronounced yellow tail area, and may have blue spots on the upper half of his body. A lot of fish on Vivid's site are mismarked, that pic is a doli for sure. Mine went on a hunger strike and hid a lot for the first several weeks that I had him and he got very thin but has become much bolder and has really plumped up. HTH

Here's the fish with his buddy, a little mimic tang. These fish are both about 1 1/2" in this pic.

 

[BrianD]

Thanks a bunch KT! Your pic is exactly the fish I want

 

[pdpreef]

Brian, I work at vivid aquariums and look at the fish there every day. The rabbits that we call and sell as "virgate" are the species Doliatus. I now know this having read this thread. I will have the internet profile for this particular fish changed. Anyways, if you are looking for Doliatus, we have them. I will be back in the store tomorrow and would be happy to take a picture of any that we have in the store for you to see. My name is Kyle. You can call and ask for me if you are interested in the fish.

 

[BrianD]

Hi Kyle!

Thanks a lot, I talked to Dave at your store earlier today. He assured me the picture on the website is the fish I am going to get (I ordered two of them for my 550)

I am glad I could give you a plug

 

[mike89t]

I got one of those from Vivid a couple of months ago:

I don't believe it's a Virgate like they have it labeled but is actually a Doliatus. The main reason I got him was to take care of a Dictyota Macro Algae problem I was having. Glad to report that it has made a serious dent in that Macro. It's a great looking fish by the way!

 

[BrianD]

Thanks Mike! What a gorgeous fish!