Prognathodes basabei is a remarkable species of butterflyfish that lives in the depths of Hawaii and nowhere else in the world. The gorgeous orange margin butterflyfish possesses a unique beauty and the extreme depth in which it lives in makes it one of the most coveted and expensive deepwater fish. The rarity of the Orange-margin butterflyfish is something not many words in the English language are able to describe, yet Blue harbor manages yet again, to secure another batch of these deity like Chaeotodontids. The last time Blue Habour managed to get their fins on orange margin butterflyfish, they were being retailed for $6000. This time it’s a little bit different because not only did they obtain a bucket o’ basabei, they managed to secure never before seen juvenile.
[youtube width=”680″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q2b9Vo2J4Y[/youtube]
Like many other deepwater rare fish such as bandit angelfish, the cost of the orange-margin butterflyfish has an inverted price scale: the smaller the specimen is, the more expensive it is. Part of the reason for the inverted price scale is that smaller specimens are not only rarer, but they also acclimate to captivity much better. The two inch juvenile P. basabei is breathtaking and extremely hard to find, overtaking the adults in terms of rarity.
Don’t expect to see specimens of orange margin butterflyfish like this again in the near future, but we sure hope Rufus Kimura will dazzle us again with more treasures from the abyss. Butterflyfish enthusiasts with shallower pockets and smaller wallets may opt for other members of the Prognathodes genus like P. aculeatus, P. marcellae or P. brasiliensis. These Atlantic dwelling species are more easily obtainable and much more affordable.
