So the suspicions are true, these two Lightning Maroons are destined to become a pair!


The story was published moments ago on Reefs.com – details are being kept quiet, but according to Reefs.com, the purchaser’s plans are to “keep the fish in their 120 gallon tank as the centerpiece of their show tank.  The buyer was not specifically interested in breeding them, but if they do decide to mate the eggs will be transferred to the Long Island Aquarium and raised by Todd Gardner and Joe Yaiullo.  We’ll have photos of the fish in their new home soon!”  Read the whole story at Reefs.com
As I posted on Facebook, to read that makes me very happy and proud. These fish found the perfect home in someone who “gets it”. “This is a total win for the fish – while concerns that “rare fish collectors” would snag them up and not see the light of day again, it sounds like the anonymous winning bidder totally gets it. I could not be more thrilled; the responsible decision to ensure their genetics are not sequestered is commendable. BRAVO!”
I’m looking forward to following this pair for years to come; the winning bidder certainly will have his/her work cut out in the pairing department as will ALL the winners with these fish.  Simply putting two siblings together will, in my experience, result with only one sibling.  Much as I did with the wild fish, it seems that forced size differentiation with ongoing screened social interaction is going to be what it takes to push two similarly sized fish into being a compatible pair.