(YES! Another long post from Lee 
)
This fish was once classified as Centropyge multifasciatus. Now it's Paracentropyge multifasciata. Common name includes Multi-barred Angelfish, although some may refer to it as the Multi-banded or Many-banded Angelfish. It's a delicately marked fish with, as the name implies, multiple vertical bars. Depending upon the health of the fish, it displays a rich yellow 'breast' in the ventral fin area. A picture to look at it is here: Multi-Barred Angelfish photo. It's better than me trying to describe it any further.
They shouldn't be held captive, in my opinion. They are delicate reef fishes, favoring a carnivore diet. They will eat some corals and like most Angelfishes, will spend hours a day picking around the reef.
Unfortunately, the marine fish trade/system has problems based in part on supply and demand. The collectors rarely care about what they collect. If a particular exporter doesn't take their whole catch, they can often find another that will. So the exporter ends up with the fishes they may or may not know they shouldn't sell.
Either way, the exporter sends it on to the wholesaler. Sometimes the wholesaler will receive Puffer fish that are 15 inches or more long! Or a Triggerfish that is already a foot long (and probably has taken off a human hand, here and there, along the transportation route). The wholesaler places their order, but every shipment has surprises in it. Some are good surprises, a few are not. The wholesaler is now confronted with a fish they have learned can't be 'off-loaded' very easily.
Quite often in these circumstances, the wholesaler offers the fish at a very reduced price -- like almost what they paid for it! But the large ones don't move on very well (if at all). The smaller ones that shouldn't have come through have the chance to 'off load' much better.
In the case of the Multi-barred Angelfish, they are collected small, the exporter paid pennies to the collector and asks the wholesaler a couple of dollars for it (incl shipping, importing, and sales price).
A dealer or retailer may pick up the small 'does-not-live-long' fish hoping to make a particularly big profit. The dealers are ignorant about the success rate on the fish, or they ignore it and take their chances. The trick of course will be to sell the fish before it dies in their tanks. But, even if the fish did die before finding a home, the dealer isn't out much money. Such can be the life of most Multi-barred Angelfishes coming through the system.
In my frequent travels I come across such a fish (happily, rarely) at an LFS. I find one (or more) of the Multi-barred fishes about once a year at an LFS. I ask them about the fish to see what they know. I've been told:
At least if you're going to try and sell the fish as an 8-barred Butterflyfish, you'd think you'd at least count the bars, right?
I ask to see it eat. I've never seen one eat whatever was put into the tank. At this point I bust them. I complain about what they're doing and correct what they're saying, especially arguing about the price they are selling it for.
More than two Los Angeles wholesalers (unfortunately) know my experience and ability with such fishes. I get an e-mail once every quarter with such a fish. I don't touch the large ones, so they have stopped asking me to take those. The smaller ones I am very familiar with, I have gathered enough information in the past (having kept them) to just say, "No" to their offer to send it to me. No matter what happens, I know that it is considerable work, time, and money to 'rescue' such a fish from the wholesalers.
You think there's a problem trying to decide to rescue a fish from your LFS? Try it on this level! :evil:
First, don't do this! Rescue no fish from your LFS or ? If you insist upon ignoring this, then do not pay to rescue any fish. If a hobbyist buys a stressed or a fish not belonging in captivity, then the aquarist is saying that these fish will be bought and there's a profit to be made from them. Even if the aquarist buys the fish at 'wholesale price' from the LFS, it means there is no loss to the LFS. This sends an improper signal back all the way to the collector. So, if you're compelled to do a mercy rescue, pay nothing to acquire the fish.
A small importer in the LA area notified me yesterday that they have a Multi-barred Angelfish. This owner knows/prefers not to try and sell it. This owner is particularly a responsible individual (I'm happy to say). The owner could have flushed it or kept it until it died. But, he makes the effort to get it somewhere, where the fish may stand a chance. It is now being shipped to me and I should receive it tomorrow.
I'll reserve this thread to let you know how it goes with this fish, NOT to provide pointers on how to keep such a fish. :|
)This fish was once classified as Centropyge multifasciatus. Now it's Paracentropyge multifasciata. Common name includes Multi-barred Angelfish, although some may refer to it as the Multi-banded or Many-banded Angelfish. It's a delicately marked fish with, as the name implies, multiple vertical bars. Depending upon the health of the fish, it displays a rich yellow 'breast' in the ventral fin area. A picture to look at it is here: Multi-Barred Angelfish photo. It's better than me trying to describe it any further.
They shouldn't be held captive, in my opinion. They are delicate reef fishes, favoring a carnivore diet. They will eat some corals and like most Angelfishes, will spend hours a day picking around the reef.
Unfortunately, the marine fish trade/system has problems based in part on supply and demand. The collectors rarely care about what they collect. If a particular exporter doesn't take their whole catch, they can often find another that will. So the exporter ends up with the fishes they may or may not know they shouldn't sell.
Either way, the exporter sends it on to the wholesaler. Sometimes the wholesaler will receive Puffer fish that are 15 inches or more long! Or a Triggerfish that is already a foot long (and probably has taken off a human hand, here and there, along the transportation route). The wholesaler places their order, but every shipment has surprises in it. Some are good surprises, a few are not. The wholesaler is now confronted with a fish they have learned can't be 'off-loaded' very easily.
Quite often in these circumstances, the wholesaler offers the fish at a very reduced price -- like almost what they paid for it! But the large ones don't move on very well (if at all). The smaller ones that shouldn't have come through have the chance to 'off load' much better.
In the case of the Multi-barred Angelfish, they are collected small, the exporter paid pennies to the collector and asks the wholesaler a couple of dollars for it (incl shipping, importing, and sales price).
A dealer or retailer may pick up the small 'does-not-live-long' fish hoping to make a particularly big profit. The dealers are ignorant about the success rate on the fish, or they ignore it and take their chances. The trick of course will be to sell the fish before it dies in their tanks. But, even if the fish did die before finding a home, the dealer isn't out much money. Such can be the life of most Multi-barred Angelfishes coming through the system.
In my frequent travels I come across such a fish (happily, rarely) at an LFS. I find one (or more) of the Multi-barred fishes about once a year at an LFS. I ask them about the fish to see what they know. I've been told:
- Easy fish
- It is actually a Butterflyfish Chaetodon octofaciatus
- Peaceful fish
- Great community fish
- Eats brine shrimp (but not eating right at the moment)
- No guarantee on this fish (if the store offers a guarantee)
- (Only once) It is a difficult fish
At least if you're going to try and sell the fish as an 8-barred Butterflyfish, you'd think you'd at least count the bars, right?I ask to see it eat. I've never seen one eat whatever was put into the tank. At this point I bust them. I complain about what they're doing and correct what they're saying, especially arguing about the price they are selling it for.
More than two Los Angeles wholesalers (unfortunately) know my experience and ability with such fishes. I get an e-mail once every quarter with such a fish. I don't touch the large ones, so they have stopped asking me to take those. The smaller ones I am very familiar with, I have gathered enough information in the past (having kept them) to just say, "No" to their offer to send it to me. No matter what happens, I know that it is considerable work, time, and money to 'rescue' such a fish from the wholesalers.
You think there's a problem trying to decide to rescue a fish from your LFS? Try it on this level! :evil:
First, don't do this!
Rescue no fish from your LFS or ? If you insist upon ignoring this, then do not pay to rescue any fish. If a hobbyist buys a stressed or a fish not belonging in captivity, then the aquarist is saying that these fish will be bought and there's a profit to be made from them. Even if the aquarist buys the fish at 'wholesale price' from the LFS, it means there is no loss to the LFS. This sends an improper signal back all the way to the collector. So, if you're compelled to do a mercy rescue, pay nothing to acquire the fish.A small importer in the LA area notified me yesterday that they have a Multi-barred Angelfish. This owner knows/prefers not to try and sell it. This owner is particularly a responsible individual (I'm happy to say). The owner could have flushed it or kept it until it died. But, he makes the effort to get it somewhere, where the fish may stand a chance. It is now being shipped to me and I should receive it tomorrow.
I'll reserve this thread to let you know how it goes with this fish, NOT to provide pointers on how to keep such a fish. :|
