The holidays are in full swing and besides being a legal excuse to put on weight, it’s also a time to indulge in a little something extra. All in the spirit of holiday cheer, of course. The fish deities know that as well, and this year, Santa delivered not one, but six of these incredibly rareBodianus opercularis.Iwarna Aquafarmof Singapore secured these deepwater “barbershop poles” from the Indian Ocean for those who have been extra good this year.
B. opercularisis the sister species its the Pacific counterpartB. neopercularis. Coming from the deep waters of the Indian Ocean, this species is seldom encountered in the trade. We’ve wrote about it before in the past, but never in such quantities. The timely arrival of this species during such a festive season couldn’t be better. Adorned with striations of white and red, the common names of peppermint or candy cane hogfish is nothing but apt. Although rare and expensive, these are anything but delicate.
Bodianusare famed for being bullet proof and hardy, andB. opercularisis nothing less. Below are two pictures of the nearly identicalB. neoparcularisthat Aquarise of Japan secured last month. As mentioned before, these two species are probably sympatric and are nearly indiscernible, althoughB. opercularis似乎具有更深的红色色彩，其肛门鳍上有更薄的红色条纹。Irregardless，两者都很华丽，值得今年任何稀有的鱼类收藏。
- 来自太平洋的Bodianus Neopercularis几乎相同，也是传奇和美丽。
Still looking for something festive to spruce up your树今年坦克吗?如果员升降机ous hogfish isn’t quite your thing, then perhaps the diminutivePlectranthias pelicieriis more your cup of tea. Donned in the same candy cane coloration, this fish is the epitome of chill and is a perfect addition for a nano aquarium. Like many other in the genus,P. pelicieristays smallish and is very peaceful, preferring to spend most of its time perching on rocks and watching the world go by. An easy fish to feed, it snaps up frozen food readily.
If owning such a fish is beyond budget, then we hope these pictures satisfy for now. Maybe a gingerbread cookie with red and white frosting in the likeness of these fish perhaps?
