This is why aquarists don’t like going out of town:

And yet, I still have an upcoming trip to talk at PNWMAS this weekend.  Since I am only now really recovered from  truly abnormal overtime (I think I worked a month’s worth of hours in the first half of the month?) I figured I at least owed you all an image of the damage that was inflicted on the Lightning Maroon while I was speaking in Dallas / Fort Worth at the end of February.
In addition to the remaining damage you see in the spiny dorsal, the soft dorsal and anal were all frayed, but as you can see 2 weeks later all of that damage had fully healed.  I do not know if, or when, the spiny dorsal will heal, but I can say I’m holding onto hope.  On January 26th, 2011, I received a Four Eyed Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus) from Sea Life Inc that had similar, although not quite as extensive damage to a thick front dorsal spine.  I figured it would stay that way for the rest of its life.  By the end of February, it had fully grown in.
In the grand scheme of things, this damage doesn’t matter one bit.  The genetics are certainly intact regardless.  It’s just a “bummer” because not only is this a special fish, it is a one-of-a-kind fish, and I’m picky about the overall quality of my fish to begin with.  Ironically, I also have to acknowledge that much worse could yet happen during pairing if it doesn’t go well, so I better not get too riled up about it (but I may just have to Photoshop my pictures from now on!!!)
Given the family schedule, pairing is now slated to be attempted again on the First of April (yeah, April Fool’s day…).