Distribution of the Trochocopus subgenus with a new range extension for the neopercularis complex

The largely puerile and often intimidating Bodianus is a large genus of labrid most noted for their belligerent and mischevious behaviour. While a large portion of the genus are often teeth bearing invertebrate hunters, a handful are minimally problematic and…

Rainfordia opercularis reappears at Red Heart King

Rainfordia opercularis made a meteoric appearance a few years ago and just as suddenly as it appeared, it vanished without a trace. We helmed the species as fish of the year back in 2011 and since then we have covered…

The highly elusive and beautiful Bodianus opercularis surfaces in Hong Kong

The Bodianus hogfishes get loads of quality air time here at ReefBuilders, and for good reason. Hogfish are gorgeous, rare, easy to keep and overall a group of very hardy fish that can withstand the rumble and tumble of a…

The elusive Bodianus neopercularis and its near perfect clone

The genus Bodianus has got to be one of the the favorites amongst reefers and fish lovers alike. They’re robust, hardy, have so much personality and not to mention beautiful. Here at ReefBuilders, we’ve already covered many of the rarer…

Rainfordia opercularis is THE reef fish of the year 2011

Like we did for the most exciting breakthrough aquarium fish of the year 2011, we’re going to recap some of the most memorable and amazing fish that we’ve seen this year. We have seen some pretty amazing ground breaking collections…

Flathead perch video shows why Rainfordia opercularis is awesome

There are some fish that are really photogenic and look lackluster in real life, and other species that look unremarkable in images but really grab your attention in the flesh; the flathead perch falls squarely in the latter category, with…

Rainfordia opercularis video from B-Box Aquarium is closer and clearer

[youtube width=”680″ height=”420″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2828PGefvns[/youtube] The flathead perch, Rainfordia opercularis, is an extremely rare fish not only for its limited distribution but also because of its reclusive nature. The flat head and big eyes or Rainfordia are especially suited to swimming and…

Rainfordia opercularis video from Blue Harbor shows this fish’s cryptic nature

[youtube width=”680″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl7kZ7O6hpU[/youtube] Rainfordia opercularis is a rare and cryptic basslet that few people will ever see in person. Not only are Rainfordia rare in the hobby, but they are also very secretive in their wild natural habitat, their flat…

OMG! Stunning Rainfordia opercularis appears at Blue Harbor

The Rainfordia opercularis is one of the most uncommon reef fish we know about and its not to often this rare specimen available in the market. We don’t know too much about this specific specimen except it’s in the hands of…

Rainfordia opercularis, the flat head perch is one of the rarest and least known of the basslets

Rainfordia opercularis is a fish so rare that aside from the stud in these pictures, we literally have only been able to track down just one other confirmed specimen that has come to the U.S. Closely related to fish of…