Quote:
Originally posted by copps
These are not mine, but I'm working on getting some... I photographed these in about 130 feet of water off the coast of the island of Niihau in Hawaii... they are endemic to Hawaii, and carry the appropriate Pseudanthias hawaiiensis name...
Male on the bottom of this shot...
Male on the right here, you could see the difference in color bwteen the two males...
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Well, about a week and a half ago I finally scored a trio of Pseudanthias hawaiiensis! These are near impossible to find. Well, on the Big Island there's a collector who gets them about three miles offshore somewhere who's from what I know the only one getting these guys in decent shape. I received a male and two females in great shape... the females began eating right off the bat and have adapted amazingly well, but the male has yet to eat and his prospects don't look good unless he starts very soon. Yes I've tried feeding everything...
After speaking with Charles Delbeek in Waikiki (one of the few people with experience with these guys) this is apparently common with the males... and now he tries to get females, which I was already thinking of doing before talking to him, but that confirms it. I'll do the same in the future, and just allow one to change on its own. I've been pleasantly surprised at how well the females have done, and am past the point where infections would result from the needling they receive (remember these guys are DEEP). For those going to the Waikiki Aquarium, there are two of these on display in the deep reef exhibit with the new potter's/fisher's hybrid angel!
Anyway... here's some pics before adding them to quarantine... this is one of those fish that I got really genuinely excited to get... I've always loved them (they are the photo on the front cover of Scott Michael's "Reef Fishes Volume 1") and seeing them in person last year, if only for a the few minutes I could spend at 120 feet, only added to this!
Check 'em out guys!
females...
the male...
