Plectranthias winniensis & P. helenae captive raised by RCT Hawaii

Plectranthias winniensis and P. helenae are two species of this adorable group of basslets that grace the pages of Reef Builders today for very good reason. Reef Culture Technologies Hawaii has been trailblazing the captive rearing of various marine fish…

Okayama’s “Liopropoma boss” shows us how he got that name

We’re at the penultimate last leg of our recent Japanese tour recount, and if you’re just following, be sure to check out the previous parts here, here, here, here and here. We’ve toured Osaka and the surrounding Kansai region extensively…

A Mauritian gem residing in Japan

As the metonymic dust begins to settle after our whirlwind tour of Japan, it becomes increasingly clear that this country is without a doubt, the capital mecca for rare fish and all things associated. With lolita inspired fashion and crazy pop…

O’ don’t you love this anthias – Odontanthias unimaculatus

Odontanthias is a small genus which includes slightly over a dozen species. Members of this genus are quite unlike the slender cliché of regular anthiines, and are characterized by having rather deep body profiles and steep foreheads. Being exclusive worshippers…

Opulent Osaka Part 4: A BlueHarbor tribute, and the man behind the brand

We’ve come to our last and final installation of our four part Osaka travelogue. If you’ve been following parts 1, 2 and 3, we hope you’ve enjoyed it, and thank you for exploring some of Osaka’s most opulent reef keepers…

Opulent Osaka Part 2: Yuma Yasuda’s Odontanthias katayamai filmed and photographed in stunning HD

If you’re still reading and following on our Osaka updates, then welcome to part two of four! In our previous installation we visited Mr. Makoto Matsuoka and took a look at some of his rare butterflyfish collection. This time we’re…

Dr. Chung Wing Hung’s Pomacanthid perfection

Dr. Chung from Hong Kong is a familiar name to any rare fish lover worthy of his salt. A dentist by profession, Dr. Chung has had the privilege of owning some of the most elusive and rare species in the same tank.…

Pearl of The Orient: Mr Wong’s butterflyfish collection

When it comes to the rare fish game, there are only two players that immediately come to mind. Hong Kong and Japan. Together these two are undeniably the largest absorbers of rare fish, and have been consistently spitting out amazing specimens…

I see you looking at me, like I’m some kind of freak

Sight is a vital sensory system for most living things that enables them to process and visualise information from their surroundings. What to eat, and where to find it? Who to flee from, and who to mate with? Survival and procreation…

Ultra Rare Fish Alert: First live photos of Chromis struhsakeri and Bodianus bathycapros

Robert Whitton is a renowned underwater videographer and naturalist, and is currently working in the ichthyological department of natural sciences as a research assosiate at the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. Robert runs a blog called Explorer’s Log where he documents…