Bladefin Basslet
These tiny little fish attract an exorbitant price of roughly $8000. The Bladefin basslet (Jeboehlkia gladifer) is one of the most elusive saltwater fish ever caught and sold to a collector.
These fish reside at amazing depths of more than 150 meters, making them nearly impossible to capture. On the rare times that they have been apprehended, they have frequently died in transit, making those who do survive the journey extremely important.
It gets its name from its unusual blade-like dorsal fin. Colors range from bright orange to white and are typically found in the Caribbean.
Quirky and full of personality, this fish is high on collectors' wish lists due to its scarcity. They are difficult to distinguish from other fish in an aquarium store. It barely grows to about 1.5 inches in length and is classified as a deep water reef fish, which explains why collecting specimens is tough. It's no surprise that finding these fish for sale is unusual.
Bladefin basslet has a relatively elongate and compressed body, a large eye, a pointed snout, a large mouth that is slightly oblique, and a projecting lower jaw. The posterior margin of the preopercle features fine serrations, and the gill cover has three spines facing forward and three spines pointing back, with the middle spine being the longest. The dorsal fin has eight spines, the first of which is tiny and concealed, and the second of which is large and blade-like, as well as nine soft rays.
Deep incisions run through the membranes that connect the spines and soft rays. The caudal fin has a rounded shape. The head and body are white to pink to reddish in hue, with a ref iris and red dorsal region of the head and nape. A white band runs along the middle of the head from the upper lip to the 2nd spine in the dorsal fin, and another wide red bar runs vertically across the body from the soft rayed portion of the dorsal fin to the anal fin. The anal and dorsal fins have white borders, whereas the pelvic fins are red with a white posterior margin.
Price: $8000
