What is the rarest fish that you have,or have ever had.

[duanes]

Its interesting to me the fish considered "rare" back in the 80s when snake heads were legal, you could find the them in almost every LFS.
And when I had a spawning group of "red ceibals" they were so prevalent, I couldn't;t give them away. but...
For me it was Alcolapia alcalicus, a tiny cichlid that comes from only 1 small, shallow lake in Africa, the lake is more saline that the ocean, and where the water temp is almost always @ 90'F or higher, called Lake Natron.
When I ran out of males, my most dominant female became a male, and spawned with the female next in line in dominance.
Here she is as a female, with a mouthful of eggs.

and here after she became a male (changing color and shape) and spawning with with a female.

 

[duanes]

Its interesting to me the fish considered "rare" back in the 80s when snake heads were legal, you could find the them in almost every LFS.
And when I had a spawning group of "red ceibals" they were so prevalent, I couldn't;t give them away. but...
For me it was Alcolapia alcalicus, a tiny cichlid that comes from only 1 small, shallow lake in Africa, the lake is more saline that the ocean, and where the water temp is almost always @ 90'F or higher, called Lake Natron.
When I ran out of males, my most dominant female became a male, and spawned with the female next in line in dominance.
Here she is as a female, with a mouthful of eggs.

and here after she became a male (changing color and shape) and spawning with with a female.

 

[flintlock777]

Reganochromis calliurus - Sorry can't post links yet.

 

[Davidiator]

Arowana

Black Ghost Knifefish

Fire Eel

I know they are not really rare but they are cool and unusual

Sorry don't have any pics yet

 

[Hendre]

Its interesting to me the fish considered "rare" back in the 80s when snake heads were legal, you could find the them in almost every LFS.
And when I had a spawning group of "red ceibals" they were so prevalent, I couldn't;t give them away. but...
For me it was Alcolapia alcalicus, a tiny cichlid that comes from only 1 small, shallow lake in Africa, the lake is more saline that the ocean, and where the water temp is almost always @ 90'F or higher, called Lake Natron.
When I ran out of males, my most dominant female became a male, and spawned with the female next in line in dominance.
Here she is as a female, with a mouthful of eggs.

and here after she became a male (changing color and shape) and spawning with with a female.

Someone I know has volcanic lake cichlids as well, very interesting fish

 

[krichardson]

Someone I know has volcanic lake cichlids as well, very interesting fish

Interesting indeed,I wasnt aware of a cichlid being able to change it's sex in order to breed.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Interesting indeed,I wasnt aware of a cichlid being able to change it's sex in order to breed.

i assumed it was a sleeper male masquerading as a female. if it is as you say its news to me as well.

 

[duanes]

The trans-sexual had previously laid eggs as a female, and in the lower photos is fertilizing eggs as a male, so sleeper does really not apply.
There are many species that change sex in nature, clownfish are the most obvious, but there are plenty of others.
For a while I also collected other volcanic lake species,
Pungu marlerani which in nature, eats freshwater sponges,
and Stomapepia pindu, and marliae all 3 with Tilapine ancestry (as are Alcalpia)from one tiny crater lake, Lake Barumbi mbu

pindu above, marliae below

and from lake Bermin, Coptodon bythobates

One of the rarest, I could not get was Stomatepia mongo, although I tried for many years.

 

[CichlidMASTER_]

id say my emarald choclate cichlid he can change almost any color he wants during mating when older

 

[Jexnell]

Rarest fish I ever had was a foot long Blue Eyes pleco.