I need help finding out what species this is?

[ReefWonderer]

I'm a newbie to the hobby, I'm converting from freshwater and trying to do as much research on saltwater as I can. I came across this really neat looking saltwater fish at my LFS, and there was no tag describing the fish :shock: ... It was in the little section where they kept their clown fish, but I've never heard of a clown fish with spots. I was wondering, what is this fish??? The pictures aren't the best, this little guy loved to squirm around.


<a href="http://s1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/Nathaniel_Eaton1/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_8164.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/Nathaniel_Eaton1/IMG_8164.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[ReefWonderer]

I'm a newbie to the hobby, I'm converting from freshwater and trying to do as much research on saltwater as I can. I came across this really neat looking saltwater fish at my LFS, and there was no tag describing the fish :shock: ... It was in the little section where they kept their clown fish, but I've never heard of a clown fish with spots. I was wondering, what is this fish??? The pictures aren't the best, this little guy loved to squirm around.

 

[BL1]

It's a called a spotted sweetlips, and they get HUGE, almost 2.5 feet long.

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Spotted Sweetlips

 

[texreefer]

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Spotted Sweetlips

 

[little_fish]

That is clown sweetlips grouper. Gets to be 2.5 ft long and needs a 300+ gallon tank.

 

[Bifferwine]

+1 Brian. It's not a clown. :)

 

[Live Rock]

That is clown sweetlips grouper. Gets to be 2.5 ft long and needs a 300+ gallon tank.

+1 little_fish
This is one issue in keeping these mega fish, and also the babies grow uglier and they are extremely finicky, eating only live foods.

 

[Bifferwine]

They do get really ugly. :(

 

[ReefWonderer]

It's a called a spotted sweetlips, and they get HUGE, almost 2.5 feet long.

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Spotted Sweetlips

Thank you!

 

[ReefWonderer]

That is clown sweetlips grouper. Gets to be 2.5 ft long and needs a 300+ gallon tank.

That's too bad:( I was hoping it would stay that size...

 

[ReefWonderer]

They do get really ugly. :(

I just looked up pictures of them, I know what you mean! I don't even understand how they change that much going from juvenile to adult.. I personally think they're really beautiful as a juvenile.

 

[Smitty]

Welcome to the site, they've got you covered. In the future, it'll be best if you do a lil research on the fish or ask us before buying it, because the lfs only cares about making money off of you. :)

 

[Trigger Happy]

Hi Reef Wonderer, I saw one in my LFS and "had to have him" As he was only about 3 inches long and quite passive he did fine for a couple of months until I had a tankwide crash and he passed away. :bye2:. In the meantime I had researched him and was rather frantic trying to work out what to do with him when he grew big as the LFS said they wouldn't take him back when he was big. He had been sweet in the tank, very cool swimming style and beatiful but never looked really happy. I guess since the grow big even as babies they need a lot of space to swim.