Rare Centropyge disponibility

[h0bite]

He's anybody know where I have to ask if I want Centropyge hotumatua.
I know that fish is particularly rare, but I can probebly find one if I check at the good place and at the good season. I already have a 74-75 degrees for that kind of fish. thanks
David

 

[pacislandaqua]

No one has them now. They are only from Easter Island and it is very difficult to get them off the island. Although not illegal, just difficult logistics.

 

[lebreef]

It would be really interesting to have more info on this subject.

Many endemics are quite interesting for the trade and would fetch top dollar in countries like Japan. C. litus, C. smithi, A. femininus, and if recall there was a very interesting Amphichaetodon species. And of course C. hotumatua.

There is always the postential of other fish too...

Wouldn't those cover the logistics of the collection?

 

[snorvich]

Most likely available from Japan.

 

[Yurivd]

No one has them now. They are only from Easter Island and it is very difficult to get them off the island. Although not illegal, just difficult logistics.

thy are also at Pitcairn island

 

[curlykid]

wow, never heard of these. i'm guessing someone in japan has them though.

 

[ALH]

Disponibility. Am I the only one who had to look this word up?

 

[h0bite]

Thanks you all. I will continu to look on DD....but I live in Canada. I never saw one for sale.

 

[pacislandaqua]

Scuba collection is illegal i believe, and since it is owned by Chili you have to go through Chili for exporting and paperwork. Hotumatua are deeper than most free divers can collect. Try catching an angelfish swimming in and out of rocks while holding your breath at 100 feet

 

[lebreef]

Has it always been illegal, or is this a new law? Were ll the hotumatua previously collected caught without scuba? It is always interesting to have the collectors' feedback on such topics.

 

[lebreef]

OK, so I've done a little research and apparently one hotumatua was sold in 2010 at aquarise in Japan. Whether this fish was recently collected at the time or from another hobbyist, I do not know but it here goes.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54478441@N03/6110078823/" title="hotumatua 1 by Aqua-Boutique, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6110078823_826c034798.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="hotumatua 1"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54478441@N03/6110079207/" title="hotumatua 2 by Aqua-Boutique, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6067/6110079207_07eab30ba2.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="hotumatua 2"></a>

And I also found this recent post in a japanese blog with one

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54478441@N03/6110624688/" title="hotumatua jap by Aqua-Boutique, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6200/6110624688_3c09d34e52.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="hotumatua jap"></a>

This last fish is in the same tank as the C. nigriocella and the two fish sent to Japan by Aquatouch, Golden Basslet (Liopropoma aberrans) and Bladefin Basslet (Jeboehlkia gladifer).

One can always dream, right?

I should start learning Japanese...