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Tim--
Awesome rhinopia frondosa. These are killer fish, really mellow and just so neat.
Theres a few threads roaming around about these fish on RC. you might want to search-just to keep up.
Thats said-- i'll highlight a few points
Most public aquaria and well most hobbyist report a short lifespan of these fish in captivity. Its clearly a dietary issue. The fish is a scorpinidae so its should live 5+ yrs , but it common to last about 2-3yrs. The folks who have been successful report feeding lots of live foods, like damsels, and smaller SW feeder fish. You figure for the amount of cash you paid for this fish, 10 damsels every week is the price to pay.
Next, there is controversy on what this species is. It is quite clear that in the wild, R Frondosa mimics algaes, and sponge. The ornate tassles, bright color, and oscollated patterns are camoflague for the wild. But, like many colored angler fish, most of these Frondosa will turn darker over time and loose their ornate patterns, looking very much like a Rhinopia eschemeryersi. Thats the confusion, are they the same fish
These fish don't compete well w/ fast movers, so if you've got triggers, wrasses, tangs etc, consider getting your high dollar fish a new home.
Lastly, and I'll reiterate this, whether you like hearing it or not, the price on these fish have dropped way too much IMHO. They are now being overcollected, and some buzz around the hobby suggests they too may go the way of the banggai.
Anyway--
Enjoy
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Currently in between fish tanks
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