I can’t even begin to tell you all how elated I am to be writing this right now as well as how honored I am to be the person to share this mind blowing news with you!! The “Holy Grail” of fish is finally here. The Genicanthus personatus, a visually stunning, pearlescent-white angel with a striking, inky-black mask and tail, has rarely been seen within the trade. It’s ghostly nature and ethereal appearance put this little number in a class of ultra-rare fish that most people will never see in person. That’s what makes this news so exciting. Biologist Karen Brittain of Hawaii is breeding them successfully in captivity. Numbers are pretty secretive at this point – but we do know that several made their way into Japan, the US and the UK. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have set eyes on these magnificent angels in person, and hope you all get a chance to do the same. Featured below we have a press release issued by Larry DuPont of Reef Frenzy, the exclusive food used for the project with a plethora of details, from collection to breeding, along with some seriously fantastic video and pictures for you to ogle at, enjoy!
“The G. personatus Project 2014” Many people in the hobby consider the Peppermint Angelfish to be the ultimate “If money was no object, I would have one” fish. However, there is another ultra-rare angelfish rarely encountered in the hobby and often referred to by prominent figures as “the holy grail.” This would be the Genicanthus personatus or Masked Angelfish. The G. personatus is seldom seen in the trade and when specimens are located the price is out of reach for all but the most elite exotic fish collectors. The last collected pair was listed for sale at a starting price of nearly $30,000. A Google search reveals very few articles or videos online about this elusive species, which some hobbyists may have never heard of until now. Well that is about to change…. Veterans in the hobby may recognize the name Rufus Kimura, who is a well-respected deep-water diver who resides in Hawaii. Using special closed-circuit rebreathers and other advanced equipment Rufus and his team risk their lives diving to depths of 400+ feet to collect some of the most sought after fish in the aquarium trade. In late 2013 Rufus was able to collect a pair of mature G.
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