Aberrant fish show up occasionally from time to time and it’s always a game of roulette as to what form they will take. Pseudochromis are not exclusively spared from such afflictions, although it’s not everyday we come across a unique…
Monochrome magnifica, the almost magnificent fire fish
Somewhere along the primeval soup of genetic crossing and embryonic development, a magnificent fire fish decided to break free from the metaphorical cloning factory and decided to be different. The concept of massed produced factory clones is not limited only…
Aberration reversion of Ctenochaetus documented by Cairns Marine
We’re not unfamiliar to the sight of “xanthic-koi” type aberrants that plague various fishes. Vitiligo and other forms of patchy off-coloured specimens appear from time to time, and seem to be particularly prevalent in surgeonfish of the genus Ctenochaetus as…
Rare fish throwback: Super aberrant and hybrid Emperor Angelfish
Here at the ReefBuilders rare fish department we have amassed a large collection of cool stuff that quite frankly, have been sitting around collecting dust. Stuff that are too outdated for a breakthrough post, but cool enough that we didn’t…
Secrets of the ghost anthias revealed in Sakayana’s dive blog
We’ve mentioned briefly before that the genus Pseudanthias, and anthias in general, are not prone to hybridisation and aberrations. Despite making their presence deeply felt by occupying almost every square inch of coral reef in shallow water, and even being…
Aberrant Koran angelfish from Cairns Marine shows off a wicked cobalt mask
The Koran angelfish (Pomacanthus semicirculatus) may not be the prettiest Pomacanthid in the reefs, but they are by no means any less ubiquitous in the trade. This species forms many hybrids in nature with related members of its genus, but…
Aberrant one of a kind ghost anthias emits a spooky purple glow
Something fishy is going on in the reefs of Bali. Either a radioactive uranium vein is mutating the resident reef fish, or Bali collectors are paying special attention to aberrant specimens. It’s highly likely that the latter is the more…
Mysterious “Koi aberrants” are not exclusive to the Zebrasoma and Centropyge genera
Over the years we’ve featured a myriad of “koi” aberrations, which mostly seem to inflict large fully grown adults of the surgeonfish genus Zebrasoma, as well as the dwarf angel genus Centropyge. While not always aesthetically pleasing, from a genetic…
Xanthic Eibl’s Angelfish is a cleverly disguised impostor of the stunning Tigerpyge hybrid.
Crosses between Centropyge flavissima and Centropyge eibliĀ so spectacular and are simply one of the most beautifully created natural hybrids that a nickname has been coined just for them – Tigerpyge. The tigerpyges are usually collected in the Indian Ocean where…