Tattler’s basslet, Serranus phoebe, won’t be the most sensational rare fish collected this year, but that bold pattern of stripes on a light body with subtle blue markings sure are distinctive. The blue snout and angular head makes this serranid look more like a hamlet than a basslet, although the color pattern reminds of us of thesnow basslet.
Interestingly enough, this specimen of tattler’s basslet was caught right alongside some of the similarly colored snow basslets in deeper Caribbean waters. We’re not sure exactly where this specimen was caught, but sinceSerranus phoebe已经年代potted in deep water Florida reefs, you could consider the Tattler an American fish.
This specimen ofSerranus phoebewas special ordered by Jim Walters ofOld Town Aquariumwho has a perhaps unhealthy obsession with all manner of rare basslets, but he always shares his rare finds with us and leaves us all that much more enriched by it.
We’ve got a feeling that Jim is going to be holding on to this one but if he did decide to part with it, the Tattler’s basslet would only set you back a couple hundred bucks. A few more pictures of this extremely rare deepwater Caribbean basslet after the break.
