Opulent Osaka Part 1: Makoto Matsuoka’s decade old Prognathodes collection

We just got back from a three day trip to Osaka and if you’re a fish lover, you’re going to want to keep your eyes peeled and attention focused on this page for the next week at least. Japan as…

Juvenile Scythe Butterflyfish photographed in the Catalina Islands for the first time

The Scythe Butterflyfish (Prognathodes falcifer) is a member of  the “long-nosed” butterflies from the genus Prognathodes. Many of the species are Atlantic in distribution, and all feature a pointed snout with exaggerated dorsal fin spikes. All the Prognathodes butterflies are gorgeous…

Historical images of Marine Fish living at the Steinhart Aquarium from the 70s and 80s

The Liopopoma fasciatum above and the Achilles Goldrim Hybrid surgeonfish below are evidence that it was possible to get very neat and rare fish even if you were an aquarist working at the Steinhart Aquarium back in the 70s and…

The exceedingly rare scythe butterflyfish, Prognathodes falcifer

Here is a classic Reef Builders post from October 2008 showing off one of my favorite fishes at the Denver Downtown Aquarium. ReefStock attendees will be able to see these two Prognathodes falcifer which surely represent some of the only…

Prognathodes carlhubbsi: will the real scythe butterflyfish please swim up?

Prognathodes carlhubbsi is a species of deep cool water butterflyfish which bears a close resemblance to the classic scythe butterflyfish, P. falcifer. The image above is a screencap from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s guide to Shorefishes of the Eastern…

The exceedingly rare scythe butterflyfish, Prognathodes falcifer

The scythe butterflyfish, Prognathodes falcifer is a rare coolwater fish which comes from the East Pacific Ocean in southern california, USA to Baja California, Mexico. Apparently, this species occur in shallower waters in the U.S. where it is not legal…