Liopropoma aberrans, Jeboehlkia gladifer, and Lipogramma robinsi.  Starting 2011, these ultra-deep-water (500+ft/150+m) and ultra-expensive ($8,000+!) fish from Curacao entered the aquarium trade for the first time.  Curacao and its close neighbor Bonaire are located just north of Venezuela.  As is the case with most Caribbean reefs, the coral coverage is not as spectacular as their Indo and South Pacific counterparts (Cordelia Banks being a notable exception).  However, these reefs are still amazing in their own right.

Let’s start with Bonaire.  Do you recognize the fish in the video’s opening shot?  It’s the French Angel (Pomacanthus paru), the inspiration for Advanced Aquarist’s logo.  I enjoyed the eerie-blue atmosphere of this video by Yuki Kokubo.

And now on to Curacao.  There is some amazing night-time footage 5 minutes into the video.  Fish, corals, anemones, crustaceans, sponges, eels, seahorse, octopus … it’s all here.  Video by ‘Have Blue’.

The Destination Reefs video series showcases the diversity of coral reefs around the world.  Through these high quality videos, Advanced Aquarist hopes we can all gain a greater appreciation of reef life beyond our glass boxes.  Our world is truly a wondrous place!