Every time the crew at Blue Harbor uploads a video, our mouths immediately begin to water. They always get the finest and rarest livestock around, and fortunately for the aquarium community they like to show off their videos. The latest reef gem to show up in the tanks of the Japan-based aquarium store is a stunning Orange Margin Butterflyfish (Prognathodes basabei). I guess we should really say reef gems, since another and much larger Orange Margin Butterfly makes a brief appearance toward the end of the clip.
This fish is extraordinarily rare, being native to only the deep waters surrounding Hawaii like most of the rare fish currently being offered in the hobby. Additionally, this butterfly has only been known to the scientific community for a mere 13 years according to Advanced Aquarist, and the lack of general knowledge of the fish further adds to it’s mystery and allure. The fish in the video shown above is fairly small, though apparently quite at home in the tank full of rare deepwater Hawaiian fish. It swims around with no issues and can even be seen taking food, which is always a good sign.
