Rarity = Attractiveness / Demand

[Sigmund]

I think it is funny / tragic that so many of us (me included) let the rarity of a species dictate our general interest in having it. As someone that fortunately or unfortunately has a level of expendable income, seeing something that is rare or not common automatically makes it more attractive. It's like "Beer Goggles" for Fish.

For every Candy Basslet / Peppermint Angel, that anyone with eyes can see is visually amazing, there is a Black Tang, that the price someone is willing to pay can only be justified by it's lack of availability. No Offense to people that have Black Tangs (Tangs are not my cup of Tea anyways), but my guess is that if Black Tangs and Yellow Tangs were both rare, people would be clamoring for Yellow tangs more.

I love to get my daily note from Divers Den and when I see something that I know is not common, but not in generic terms considered "attractive", to guess the price before I scroll down. Or get someone who knows nothing about fish and show them an attractive common fish, and then a rare uncommon fish and say if you had to spend $1000.00 on a fish which one would you buy.

I understand beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, I for one love gobies, and blennies that many do not find attractive, but I am also conscious at least in part, that many times my view of beauty is skewed by my understanding of it's rarity.

I luckily have been able to keep my selections of fish more in the range of $50to $200, not that bad considering the cost of some of the fish that are available.

I guess it is just human behavior to want things others don't have...

 

[jmccown]

I agree 100%. But most will say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[mrp2g]

I somewhat agree. Speaking as a Black Tang owner, the #1 factor for me is the preferance for all Zebrasoma species. On top of getting a grat price too..!! The rarity did somewhat attract me, but not for the " look at me, I have a rare fish" reason. I do understand the lengths and difficulties that some divers go for certain species that make that species rare or difficult to find.
Imo, the candy basslett is a amazing looking fish. If I had that kind of money, I would pull the trigger, especially from LA/DD... but I understand not everyone shares my view.
For example, the Banks Butterfly to me is a 25 dollar fish. The rareity and collection, Im sure, is what gives this specimen it's value. Thats only my opinion. I'd take a Copperband any day over it. I'm sure someone here thinks the same way about butterflies and the Banks in particular, as i do about Zebrasomas and the Black Tang...
Great discussion...!!

 

[Stuart60611]

Luckily for my wallet, I never fell into the trap of desiring a fish based on its rareness in the hobby. For me, my sole motivations for purchasing a fish is its attractiveness, personality, and husbandry requirements. I think one of the more attractive fish is the very common yellow tail damsel which in Chicago can be purchased for $5. In fact, the rareness of a fish is actually not a selling point with me because I value being able to find a lot of information about how to care for the fish on forums like this one. When a fish is very rare, there are usually not a lot of postings concerning people's experiences with keeping the fish. Plus, I think I would feel even more guilty about keeping a fish which is rare in my fish tank because if the fish is rare I do not want to contribute to reducing its numbers further.

 

[mrp2g]

I agree Stuart.... By rare, I mean in the aquarium trade, not a protected or endangered species in the wild. Those are not available nor should they be.
I do think there is all kinds of information on this site about nearly every specimen steadily available. Im refering to species such as Black Tangs, Clarion Angels, Conspic angels, Gem Tangs and so on. There is enough research for reefers to provide adaquate care for these species.
For instance, a peppermint angel or the name escapes me but species pair of angels they collected of Hawaii and is at the Waikiki Aquarium. That should not be made available to the public until proper research is done.

 

[tcmfish]

Luckily for my wallet, I never fell into the trap of desiring a fish based on its rareness in the hobby. For me, my sole motivations for purchasing a fish is its attractiveness, personality, and husbandry requirements. I think one of the more attractive fish is the very common yellow tail damsel which in Chicago can be purchased for $5. In fact, the rareness of a fish is actually not a selling point with me because I value being able to find a lot of information about how to care for the fish on forums like this one. When a fish is very rare, there are usually not a lot of postings concerning people's experiences with keeping the fish. Plus, I think I would feel even more guilty about keeping a fish which is rare in my fish tank because if the fish is rare I do not want to contribute to reducing its numbers further.

Many fish that are rare in the hobby aren't rare in the wild, just their habitat is in an inconvenient location.

For me though, I tend to like groups of fish like angels, butterflies, pseudochromis, basslets, and like to keep all of them or at least want all of them no matter the price. Realistically, I can barely afford any :lol:

 

[reidcrandall]

I like most of the angels, and think that rare ones are interesting... Mostly when they're hybrids... But the two that I have chosen to keep, the majestic and regal, are not rare. I'm not a huge fan of clarions or things like that, but I wouldn't, as they say, kick one out of bed.

I would take a copperband over most rare butterflies any day of the week.

But there are always going to be people that like certain fish for their own reasons, and I won't make a judgement about how they want to spend their money. Their reasons are their reasons, and I can respect that.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I get really discouraged when I read of threads like this, because they usually end up in the toilet. I hope this one doesnt end there, and stays on the track it's on- courteous discussion.

Personally, I dont understand why people have such a hard time understanding that different things appeal to different people. People spend money on what interests them. Whether it be rare fish, stereos, cars, furniture, jewelry, clothing, etc etc etc. I cant fathom for the life of me what some people will spend on a suit. They all "look" the same, wear the same, and offer no perceivable benefit, other than the wearer "likes" them. Fish are no different. For those men that are married, what about that big rock on your wife's finger? You can make a tinfoil one, or get a CZ for a fraction of a fraction of the price. Why the desire for truest, clearest, more perfect diamond?

I would challenge ANY person on here to tell me that they dont spend money on something that another RC member wouldnt find frivolous and expensive. Out of nothing mroe than sheer desire to own it.

 

[namxas]

for me, it's not the price, nor the rarity, but whether or not i desire to keep the fish...pricy or no, rare or common. if i have the chance to acquire a specimen, that i've been looking for, cost isn't really an issue.

i can say that i've never really jumped on the "popularity" bandwagon, as there's always something else that comes along and bumps the "gotta have it" critter.

and i agree 100%...everyone has their own likes and dislikes, and it will always be so. for instance, i'd rather keep just about ANY fish other than clownfish...i simply don't care for them in the least, but i DO have an extensive collection of scorpionfish and their relatives. again, my own personal "taste", but it's a good example.

 

[Sigmund]

jmaneyapanda,

Agree with your concern. That is why in the 6 plus years I have been reading this forum (generally on a daily basis) I rarely post, and when I do it is to ask a direct question, or provide an answer to a direct question.

As I mentioned in my original post, I realize that "my personal wants" are sometimes affected by the opportunity to have something unique or different. I don't see that as a bad thing, it's my money, my preference, and my decision. Obviously I would never, and have never bought anything that I didn't research, and believe I could provide the proper husbandry to.

Also as tcmfish mentioned, I use the term rare not to mean "endangered", just to mean for various reasons not often collected or available in the trade.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as I mentioned, but are we always aware of the inner workings in our head of why we think something is beautiful? What is considered beautiful is often developed by many factors, be it what kind of woman, car etc. that is generally considered attractive by the masses. In the case of this hobby, I believe that rarity for many drive their belief of beauty. I am guilty of this myself sometimes. Nothing wrong with it, just stating it.

Life sure would be easier and less expensive if I thought a Pinto was more attractive than a Ferrari. Same for my choices in Fish!

 

[mrp2g]

Lol... Agreed... I wonder if anyone will post here that they buy fish soley for the reason that it is considered rare...??? By no means do I want to be misinterpreted... I have purchased a fish that previously to hearing and seeing it I never knew of.if it's visually appealing to me I will buy it. I do try to do the research neccesary to care longterm for it.

 

[Sheol]

I agree with Tim. But I'll never have enough tanks for it! LOL

Matthew

 

[Korrine]

I just like things that are rare. Rare to me is "not what everyone else has" ie not the standard percula clowns or occelaris...seems everyone has those. Want my tank to be unique, though every tank is unique in it's own way. If I had the $$ I'd buy a candy bass!!

 

[jwm2k3]

Human nature to want what is unobtainable or hard to get.

The first time I saw a pair of crosshatch triggers I fell in love. I knew I would have a pair someday. Then I found out how much they cost....oh boy...

 

[iamwrasseman]

yes it is and i myself have spent stupid money on rarity . i absolutely do not regret the thousands that i have spent on a fish hardly nobody has . oh yes my wife agrees with me too, and that really helps alot .

 

[Sardaukar]

To each his own. I think the fish that I find most beautiful are 40 dollar flame angels. Second are 2k dollar Conspics. I look forward to having one of each in a tank some day

 

[iamwrasseman]

i must admit that the flame angel is very beautiful

 

[maroon2]

I have no concern for rarity in this hobby. I'm a perfect example of that. To me the most beautiful and desireable fish in the trade are GSM clowns, and Mandarins $15-$30. just my 2 cents worth.:beer:

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I appreciate beauty foremost, but there is something to be said about having stuff in your tank you dont see in other people tanks.

 

[Dizzle63]

I work at an LFS and I see so many of the common fish that they just don't excite me anymore. It is not that they are not beautiful, it is just that they are everywhere. I want my tank to be unique and I pick fish that are uniquely patterened or vivid in coloration to compliment the corals that I have in my tank. I also like challenging fish. All this being said, all of my fish are $40 or under.