beautiful fish

[VSpeck]

There is a reason why the peppermints cost so much. They arent available in the trade and when they are they dont eat. If anyone finds one and has it for sale it is in high demand.
If you think there is no one in the world ready to blow that much on a fish you are mistaken. 17k is not even close to the most expensive animals in the pet trade.
This is from wwm....

Peppermint Angel - 08/05/
Dear Bob and friends at WWM,
<<EricR here>>
What is the likelihood that I could get my hands on a Peppermint Angel here in the States? I’m well aware that even if I do find one, I'll be sacrificing the down payment on my condo to purchase it- however, I’m still quite curious.
<<Assuming you are referring to Centropyge boylei...from what I have been able to ascertain, the likelihood of obtaining one is very small.>>
To my knowledge they are rarely imported into the U.S. but I've heard stories of one or two showing up at Quality Marine in LA within the last twenty years- sounds more and more like a long shot.
I was also thinking that Mr. Boyle over on the Cook Islands might be able to direct me to a source, or perhaps even help me get one...??...?? I'd like to know your thoughts
<<A beautiful fish, but unsuited to aquarium keeping from what I have gathered. A deep water fish (50-120 meters) that rarely feeds in captivity, and when/if it does...whose diet we haven't quite figured out. Best left in the sea.>>
As always, your site continues to amaze me! I have gained an incredible amount of useful knowledge from WWM and it has become number one on my list of favorites!
Thank you much,
Nic
<<Regards, EricR>>