If you’ve read Reef Builders for any length of time then you know that in order to find the rarest, most colorful and interesting fish, you have to dive deep. Like really deep. That and be Dr. Luiz Rocha or one of the California Academy of Sciences deep divers.
I’m on a streak this week writing about some very interesting fish, first with captive bred conpics from Poma Labs, and then the new Black and Orange Storm Clownfish from Sea & Reef. So when I saw this photo of an Odontanthias katayamai by Dr. Rocha I couldn’t pass up the chance to share this fish with you.
Opulent Osaka Part 2: Yuma Yasuda’s Odontanthias katayamai filmed and photographed in stunning HD
There’s been an ‘imaginary’ number of Odontanthias katayamai ever collected alive for the trade, usually through very bizarre circumstances or a juvenile ‘lost’ in shallow-ish water. But to truly enter the world of the Katayamai anthias you’re looking at diving down to 140 meters (~460 feet) and temperatures as cold as 18C (64F)! With such a barrier to see them, let alone collect one, Luiz’s snapshots of the deep are the closest most of us will ever get.
