Without a doubt the holy grail of tamarin wrasses, the Blue Striped Tamarin Wrasse (Anampses femininus) is a rare gem that few ever get to lay eyes on, let alone own. Fortunately, the guys at LiveAquaria showed off one of these beauties in their very popular Diver’s Den over the weekend. The Wisconsin-based aquatic ornamentals dealer had a stunning female blue striped tamarin post for sale on Sunday to the tune of $1000, but it was quickly swiped up by a rare wrasse connoisseur no doubt. Despite regularly importing rare and exciting livestock, this is actually only the second time an A. femininus wrasse has ever made it to the LiveAquaria facilities, as far as we can remember. And rest assured that this individual is probably the only one we’ll see stateside for the next several months, as they are very rare and often get scooped up by affluent hobbyists in Asia before getting a chance to visit our shores. Regardless, this rare wrasse is a pleasure to gaze upon, even if it’s only in a still image. Its vibrant yellow anterior that blends into a neon blue posterior is striking to say the least, and those light blue horizontal lines make the fish even more beautiful. In fact, this fish is so beautiful that I would venture to say that it is even prettier than the male of the species, which usually doesn’t occur. But, as we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
