Tip of the Day – 11/8/2012

Did you know that regional differences between two fish of he same species can cause wildly differing colors and patterns? For example, the mystery wrasses from Vanuatu have five vertical white bars distributes along their bodies, while mystery wrasses from other parts of the Pacific usually lack these bars. Another good example is the Hawaiian flame angel, which has a more vibrant color than conspecifics from say, the Marshall Islands. The point to all of this? The next time you’re making a fish purchase, make sure you the the regional variant of the species that you want. Don’t settle for a particular species just for the sake of owning it.