People ask me all the time, maybe "50" emails a week or so, so I figured I would start this thread and then update it as I go. Here is a list of all the animals I come across at some point throughout the year:

Tube Anemone - year round availability
Banded Tube Anemone - year round availability
Teardrop Decorator - year round availability - prefer to not put effort into collection, they collect themselves pretty regularly
Longnose Spider Crab - late winter/early spring and summer availability
*Horseshoe Crab - late winter/early spring and summer availability
Variegated Feather Duster - year round availability
Arrow Crab - late winter/early spring and summer availability
Antilles Sponge Crab - pure luck when available
Scaly Tailed Mantis - available anytime the water is clear enough to see
Assorted Mantis - available anytime we go to the Keys
Giant Hermit Crab - available anytime the water is clear enough to see
Orange Claw Hermit - year round availability
Assorted Micro Porcelain Crabs - spring and summer help, but you still have to get lucky
Emerald Crab - available anytime we go to the Keys
Milk Conch - year round availability
Hawkwing Conch - late winter/early spring and summer availability
Florida Fighting Conch - late winter/early spring and summer availability
Crown Conch - late winter/early spring and summer availability
Horse Conch - late winter/early spring and summer availability
Hairy Triton - luck I guess, never really looked for them but bump into them enough to make the list
Gaudy Naticas - late winter/full moon
Marginellas - year round availability
Spotted Sea Hares - every season but fall/early winter
Assorted Sea Hares - every season but fall/early winter
Ragged Sea Hare - every season but fall/early winter
Nine Armed Sea Star - year round availability, but some luck involved
Beaded Sea Star - late winter/spring availability
Two Spined Sea Star - late winter/spring availability
Brittle Stars - available anytime we go to the Keys
Reef Urchin - every season but fall/early winter
Rock Boring Urchin - every season but fall/early winter
Arbacia Urchin - every season but fall/early winter
Variegated Urchin - every season but fall/early winter
West Indian Sea Egg - every season but fall/early winter
Pencil Urchin - every season but fall/early winter
Mangrove Tunicate - year round availability
Flat Tunicates - year round availability
Upside Down Jelly - summer availability
Condy Anemone - Keys trip availability
Sun Anemone - Keys trip availability
Flower Anemone - Keys trip availability
Warty Anemone - spring/summer availability
Sponge Zoanthid on Lavender Rope Sponges - spring/summer availability
White Encrusting Zoanthid - spring/summer availability
Magnificent Feather Dusters - Keys trip availability
Coral Banded Shrimp - spring/summer availability
Snapping Shrimp aka Pistol Shrimp - spring/summer availability
Shore Shrimp/Feeder Shrimp - year round availability
Flame Box Crab - year round availability, but not in an area we usually will visit
Asst. Bryozoans - year round availability
Thin Stripe Hermit - year round availability
Blue Leg Hermit Crab - year round availability
Nassarius Snail - year round availability
Florida Cerith - year round availability
Dwarf Cerith - year round availability
Fuzzy Chiton - year round availability
Turbo - every season but fall/early winter
Porous Sea Rods - every season but fall/early winter
Sea Plumes - every season but fall/early winter
Bipinnate Sea Plume - every season but fall/early winter
Sea Whip - every season but fall/early winter
Grooved Blade Sea Whip - every season but fall/early winter
Angular Sea Whip - every season but fall/early winter
White Telesto - year round availability
Oar Grass - year round availability
Cottinwick Grunt - year round availability
French Grunt - year round availability
White Grunt - year round availability
^Lined Sea Horse - every season but fall/early winter
Dwarf Sea Horse - year round availability
Sharpnose Puffer - every season but fall/early winter
Corkscrew Anemone - every season but fall/early winter
*Rough File Clam (Flame Scallop) - every season but fall/early winter
Coral Banded Shrimp - every season but fall/early winter
*Southern Stingray - summer availability
*Lesser Electric Ray - summer availability
Spotted Moray - summer availability
Green Moray - summer availability
Slender Filefish - summer availability
High Hat - summer availability
Queen Trigger - summer availability
Glassy Sweeper - summer availability
Checkered Puffer - year round availability
Bandtail Puffer - spring/summer availability
Porcupinefish - spring/summer availability
Balloonfish - spring/summer availability
Goldspot Goby - spring/summer availability
Porkfish - spring/summer availability
Smallmouth Grunt - spring/summer availability
Slippery Dick - spring/summer availability
Spotted Scorpion Fish - summer availability
Sand Diver - spring/summer availability
Goldline Blenny - spring/summer availability
Hairy Blenny - year round availability
French Angelfish - spring/summer availability
Molly Miller - spring/summer availability
Dusky Jawfish - spring/summer availability
Pistol Shrimp - spring/summer availability
beaugregory - spring/summer availability
Sgt. Major - year round availability
Orange Back Damsel - spring/summer availability
Taurus Damsel - spring/summer availability
Flat sponge - year round availability
*Smooth Dog Fish - year round availability
*Nurse Shark - year round availability
*Black Tip Reef Shark - year round availability

*This is a portion of a wholesale list I am putting together, some items are not available to hobbyists. I only post them because there are scientists from public aquariums that visit this forum.
^ = aquaculture facilities only
*= research facilities only
Fish only available for local pick up or local delivery only.
Many items are not reef safe, and many more should only be in the hands of expert hobbyists with large tanks. (Some should also get a *, but I haven't gotten to it yet) I just wanted to make this list as comprehensive as possible, it doesn't mean the species are good choices for you, do your homework etc...More species to come when I have the time, but if you don't see it chances are very high we don't come across it. Macro list to be added later...must sleep....

yeah john, I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to need scientific names for all those species before this thread goes any further.

Tube Anemone Ceriantharia 5''
Banded Tube Anemone Arachnanthus nocturnus 1 ¼'' mouth
Teardrop Decorator Pelia sp. Carapace less than ¾''
Longnose Spider Crab Libinia sp. Will grow large. Carapace up to 4''
Horseshoe Crab Limulus polyphemus Large. Females considerably larger than males. Max 20''
Variegated Feather Duster Bispira variegata 1''
Arrow Crab Stenorhynchus seticornis 1-2'' carapace, but with considerably longer legs
Antilles Sponge Crab Cryptodromiopsis antillensis 2''
Scaly Tailed Mantis Lysiosquilla scabricauda 6''
Assorted Mantis Neogonodactylus/Pseudosquilla 2''
Giant Hermit Crab Petrochirus diogenes 8''
Orange Claw Hermit Calcinus tibicen 1''
Assorted Micro Porcelain Crabs Petrolisthes. sp. less than ½ of an inch
Emerald Crab Mithrax sculptus ¾''
Milk Conch Strombus costatus 6''
Hawkwing Conch Strombus raninus 3 ½''
Florida Fighting Conch Strombus alatus 3 ½''
Crown Conch Melongena corona 5''
Horse Conch Pleuroploca gigantea 14''
Hairy Triton Cymatium pileare 3 ½''
Marginella ½''
Spotted Sea Hares Aplysia dactylomea 6''
Assorted Sea Hares Aplysia sp. 4''
Ragged Sea Hare Burastella leachii 6''
Nine Armed Sea Star Luidia clathrata 10''
Beaded Sea Star Astropecten articulatus 4''
Two Spined Sea Star Astropecten duplicatus 8''
Brittle Stars Ophiocoma sp. 6''
Reef Urchin Echinometra viridis 2''
Rock Boring Urchin Echinometra lucunter lucunter 3''
Arbacia Urchin Arbacia punctulata 4''
Variegated Urchin Lytechinus variegatus 3''
West Indian Sea Egg Tripneustes ventricosus 5''
Pencil Urchin Eucaidaris tribuloides 4'' with spines
Mangrove Tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinata Clusters normally 4'' in diameter
Flat Tunicates Botrylloides sp.
Upside Down Jelly Cassiopea sp. 7''
Condy Anemone Condylactis gigantea 12''
Sun Anemone Stichodactyla helianthus 6''
Flower Anemone Epicystis crucifer 6''
Warty Anemone Bunodosoma cavernata 4''
Sponge Zoanthid on Lavender Rope Sponge Parazoanthus parasiticus/Nphates digitalis Zoanthid has max ¼'' disc, sponge collected at 4''
Mat Zoanthid (Colored) Zoanthus pulchellus ½'' disc
White Encrusting Zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum ½'' disc
Magnificent Feather Dusters Sabellastarte magnifica
Coral Banded Shrimp Stenopus hispidus 2''
Snapping Shrimp Alpheus sp. 2''
Shore Shrimp/Feeder Shrimp 2''
Flame Box Crab Clappa flammea 4''
Asst. Bryozoans Gymnolaemata class ¾''
Thin Stripe Hermit Clibanarius vittatus 3''
Blue Leg Hermit Crab Clibanarius tricolor
Nassarius Snail Nassarius vibex
Florida Cerith
Dwarf Cerith
Fuzzy Chiton Acanthopleura granulata 3''
Turbo Astrea tuber Baseball Size
Porous Sea Rods Pseudoplexaura spp. Large specimens available on request. Most collected around 12''
Sea Plumes Pseudopterogorgia spp. Large specimens available on request. Most collected around 12''
Bipinnate Sea Plume Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata 24''
Sea Whip Ptegorgia citrina 12''
Grooved Blade Sea Whip Pterogorgia guadalupensis 24''
Angular Sea Whip Ptegorgia anceps 24''
White Telesto Carijoa riisei 10''
Midrib Grass Halophila baillonis 1'' blades
Oar Grass Halophila decpens 1'' blades
Cottinwick Grunt
French Grunt Haemulon flavolineatum
White Grunt Haemulon plumieri
Line Sea Horse Hippocampus erectus 7'' uncurled
Sharpnose Puffer Canthigaster rostrata
Corkscrew Anemone Bartholomea annulata 6''
Rough File Clam Lima scabra 3 ½''
Sally Light Foot (Nimble Spray Crab) Percnon gibbesi 2'' carapace with much longer legs. We find large ones almost exclusively
Coral Banded Shrimp Stenopus hispidus 2''
Southern Stingray Dasyatis americana 60''
Lesser Electric Ray Narcine brasiliensis 18''
Spotted Moray Gymnothorax moringa
Green Moray Gymnothorax funebris 60''
Slender Filefish Monacanthus tuckeri 3''
High Hat Pareques acuminatus 9''
Queen Trigger Balistes vetula 16''
Glassy Sweeper Pempheris schomburgkii 5''
Checkered Puffer Sphoeroides testudineus 7''
Bandtail Puffer Sphoeroides spengleri 7''
Porcupinefish Diodon hystrix 24''
Balloonfish Diodon holocanthus 14''
Goldspot Goby Gnatholepis thompson 2 ½''
Porkfish Anisotremus virginicus 10''
Smallmouth Grunt Haemulon chrysargyreum 10''
Slippery Dick Halichoeres bivittatus 8''
Spotted Scorpion Fish Scorpaena plumieri 15''
Sand Diver Synodus intermedius 14''
Goldline Blenny Malacoctenus aurolineatus 2''
Hairy Blenny Labrisomus nuchipinnis 6''
French Angelfish Pomacanthus paru 14''
Bar Jack Carangoides ruber 14''
Barracuda Sphyraena barracuda 72''
Flat Needlefish Ablennes hians 36''
Yellowfin Mojarra Gerres cinereus 12''
Rainbow Runner Elagatis bipinnulata 36''
Molly Miller Scartella cristata 4''
Dusky Jawfish Opistognathus whitehursti 4''

*check original post for hobbyist availability. Some items only fit for public aquairums and research. (Sharks, barracuda, other large fish etc...)

oh #### lol

edit - species names matched up now

Yea he actually did it haha.


Very cool list John, I was going to request a dogfish until I saw the * meaning lol

damn. favorited!

those fish ruin a lot of good fishing trips in the IRL...if I can donate one to research/public display all the better.

LOL John once again amazes us

but why did he need scientific names? just wondering

jer wanted to torture me with latin spelling...

Are you afraid of them John

They are aways getting tangled up in the fishing line, then when you untangle them they bite you lol, their eyes are amazing though

I hate to do this... kinda... so I'll do it in two flavors.



1. I have it on good authority that these are available year round. The best example of which can be found in the Nixon residence.

2. Funny, mine's available year round!

I was just being an ass, lol. but the scientific names are definitely more helpful to me than the common names.

also, as an aside, how much of a color variation do you notice in Ceriantharians when you're out? say if I needed a nice, pretty assortment of five or ten. hypothetically.

those eyes bug me out! I always feel bad seeing them on the boat..."but mister, why did you trick me?" lol!

We will be in a spot with a lot of sail cat action and then they just bite everything in the water...no fight to them, they wiggle around when you try to release them...eh..not my favorite fish to catch. Hardhead catfish make me feel the same way...

The eyes on the ones here are a beautiful green color, they really are amazing looking. Thats the thing, the wiggling, it gets them tangled in the line and hard to unhook, their bite hurts too. The little ones (less than a foot) are really well...."cute" lol.

Also, congrats on 4,000 posts

with tube anemones it is weird...they apparently aren't many taxonomists describing the species, my books all list them as Class: Ceriantharia and that is it. No genus, no species name....but there seems to be 3-4 different varieties I guess you would call them. 3 of which looks pretty much the same, one is way out there and is amazing looking. It is rarer than the others, but I find them now without much effort looking for them.

edit - species names are good because they keep me from having to take pictures. go google it!

thanks! I didnt notice.

maybe you run into the spiny dogfish in your neck...they come south here for a little while in the winter from what i hear from other fisherman.

I think the biggest we came across was 18-20 inches. I usually fish around an estuary close to my house, and the little ones around this time of year are all over the place....

Knock on wood, nothing has ever bitten me that was of a size I would care about. I got 12'' plyers for sharks and catfish. (And a dumb friend and/or brother for large sharks... )



lol! Yeah I figured that name would trigger a response. I wonder if the guys who sent that name off to the naming people cracked up over it.

/jer

John, if I see something I want should I just PM you and see if you run across it?

if it is in season yeah let me know. what we can do is this, (and this goes for the rest of you too):

1. find what you want, wait until the right season
2. email me about it and send me your zip code so I can check overnight availability to your area
3. agree that you will pay $30 for overnight service - higher for styro box for these guys.
4. Be patient - the items are mostly not stocked. However, within 2 weeks we can acquire any item above that is in season and doesn't have the phrase "pure luck" describing how often we find them.
5. Fish for locals - fresh catch - we collect it that day or only a few before pickup = 50% of the price after 10 day QT, we will notify you when it comes in, and then you just pick it up after 10+days or so - goes for our full price.

Prices - largely based on shipping costs. I will get around to this once I do zone shipping costs for average weight of these items. They will be competitive, $35 for a small french angel etc...special diet fish come with food, (like french angels), etc... I am aiming for 50% off or better compared against the major online sources.

This?

nope, what is its name?

hahaha. I like John.

Yea spiny dogfish. Oh they do? Neat they are fun, but annoying fish.

Haha thats when they are still little, I like em more when they are 3 feet plus

Really? I have been bumped by sharks but never bitten, I have been bitten by rock cod and ling cod though, man those teeth are terrible. Smart idea lol, the spiny dogfish have the spine and the teeth, so usually you get cut trying to unhook them lol.

I should probably stop spamming this thread now...Dhaut that crab looks cool, I want one after him lol.

you are always allowed to "spam" here! I can use the bumps...

Speaking of bumped...I have been lucky in that regard too! No bumps either...I was once in a school of tarpon, all 100+ pounders...had to be over 50 of them. All zipped around me, not one bump! Good thing too, I thought I was going to get run over.

I have never seen a spiny dog fish here, but they are on the list of migratory species that Floridians aren't allowed to mess with. It is the most common shark in the world I believe, (or the smooth dog is), but it is protected like the Manatee here because I think they only visit to breed. That sail cat spot I was talking about up ^^ is in the Indian River Lagoon, and most of the food fisherman I talk with, and the one in particular who mentioned the Spiny Dogs, are all out of there...You can find so many fish in there, it is the most diverse estuary/breeding ground in the world I think, (and I am pretty sure they don't count the hundreds of exotic species that run the Port Saint Lucie River). But many are only here for a short period of time during their life cycle. Bluefish are that way here, they leave before they reach any decent size and go north to get big and mean.

Speaking of mean, from what I have seen, fish in the North have nasty teeth. I am happy I don't have too many close encounters in that neck of the woods. Bluefish teeth look like little disease carrying razors...Never seen a cod, despite being on two trips for them.

Anyway, take a screen shot, I think I bothered to use capitals when appropriate in this post, I don't know what got into me.



What is not to like?

Well good to know

I want to gar Tarpon fishing really bad, they are amazing fighters, but taste not to great. According to my dad anyway, I consider him the master fisherman

Very interesting. I can believe that they are close to the most common, they are everywhere in the sound, almost too many lol. I want to see a Manatee too Wow that sounds really cool, if I am ever in FL (hopefully I will be) I will def check that out, and I may contact you for dive locations

Yea they are pretty crazy. On the big ling cod (the size limit if 40 inches) I caught a 36 incher, my bro caught a 32 incher, and my dad may have caught one a big over 40, but I am going to say 40. Either way their teeth are all over an inch long and it is like pulling up a log when they aren't fighting. Pretty amazing fish. They can live up to 2000 feet down.

Heres what they look like, the mouth on my dad was bigger than my head, mine had a smaller fish (12 inches or so) in its mouth, it caught it on the way up lmao.


Not my pic.

Haha I might have to. I am glad you took the time to do that

The best place to find Tarpon is near one of the marinas in the Keys the commercial fleet is out of. (Marathon, Key West) etc...not the lobster guys, though...longliners/party boats/guides. TONS of huge tarpon sit near their filet tables getting fat and being lazy, anywhere in the Keys. The marina in Key West always has 5 or 6 175+ guys near the restaurant that is there. One of them is the reason I am in this biz, but that is a different story. But of course you can't fish in any of these spots.....I still think it would be a good idea to let people stir them up....these fish will live there for years...

Tarpon are amazing fish, tracking them down is one thing, getting them boat side is another. People chase them down with boats and everything. No one eats them though, some people get tags to take them as trophies, but they don't do taxidermy that way anymore so it isn't often. You take a picture and "measure it" . You keep them in the water usually too....No way you want to hold up a large live Tarpon for a picture.

Boca Grande Pass is where everyone fishes their migration...I haven't done that trip, but me an Tarpon have a storied history...

Diving spots...Hens and Chickens for "ooh wow" - no fishing though, a preserve. John Pennekamp is cool too. 20 feet is around the max in some of those areas...also a preserve.

Manatees - mouths of inlets around dusk and at full moon around midnight - 3am in the summer. it is hit or miss that way, by boat in the back canals is sure fire. Lots of manatee in the IRL, and even more on the West Coast

if you head to fl, let me know - i have been pretty much everywhere in the state except the southwestern portion and pensacola. will know some spot.

that is one nasty looking fish! i would hate to have to pull a hook out from inside that beast. to me, all the fish you have up there, (halibut too?), look prehistoric.

I don't know if you meant to but you have coral banded shrimp and pistol shrimp listed twice.

i am good for that kind of stuff

Petrolisthes. sp.

there are a lot of them though...I only come across green and brown really. They have the white cool looking ones here too...I am sure there are plenty I haven't bumped into but without species name can't find depth, range etc...

Not sure - here's more info:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianmayes/4035444248/

looks like they host a barrel sponge.

Bali, I think.

we have barrel sponges...i have seen those, will have to take a peak next time I am in the Keys...

Maybe Lissoporcellana sp.

Pretty sure these aren't in the Keys though, lol. Maybe a relative? At any rate, I can't keep a barrel sponge in my tank so no use trying to get one of these guys. Looks like the sp. hosts soft coral/sponges.

oh hey I looked at that thread...those guys are from Bali. Figures...

So go to Bali then!

will do, if you see a bill from travelocity just ignore it. How much are Bali flights these days?

maybe you can help me out with mutualisms in the gulf. my tank is supposedly mutualism themed, lol. if you can think of nano-sized symbioses that are reef safe that you have access to, let me know. It's going to be a couple months before I can buy though - taxes were a ##### this year.

taxes do suck...as a fisherman i get a later "pay them" date but it still sucks...dash gobies and blind shrimp i can get, pretty common fish. They don't look special though, no color whatsoever and I know y'all are big with the color... I have a checkered pistol now too, and come across other pistols. Orangespot gobies and dash gobies are good picks there too. I know a guy who sometimes gets conch fish if you have a 150 to house one of the milk conchs...lots of options....no long spine and green banded combos though. The smaller ones like rock boring urchins though.

oh yeah nano...dash goby and blind shrimp.

Awesome thread!

What are some really exotic inverts that are reef safe and do not harm virtually anything? I want the 125G to be as exotic as possible invert wise.

And what color Porcelain Crabs do you have? If you have them.

Thanks!

exotic inverts and doesnt harm anything dont tend to go together....if something eats only algae, it tends to be abundant, if it isnt abundant it tends to eat other inverts. Cryptic teardrops I think are exotic, but the nine armed sea star is the rarest according to my books, it is probably just harder to find other guys. The orange decorator I have best fits your request.

Interesting.

I thought decorator crabs were really mean? I'm having tiny .75 in. gobies.

Hey John, is this list still valid? If so I'm getting all quivery thinking of the possibilities!

Have you ever seen triplefins where you collect? I think they are farther down in the Caribbean though.

Last time I stayed on the keys (loggerhead... My uncle was a volunteer lighthouse "keeper") we could swim through the schools of tarpon.

The scary part was the huge barracuda who took a serious liking to me. Being a new englander and having something with those giant sharp teeth swim 3" away from your face is scary. I think another keeper was feeding it, it followed me every time I got in the water. I suppose there are frightening fish in Boston waters, but we can't see em!

I loved it there. If I could move there, I would.

Sorry, Im ranting. Free bump

neya - there is! bluefish have nasty teeth, I would hate to run into a school of man eating bluefish. tarpon schools are awesome, that must have been a cool trip. Amazingly graceful fish for their size...

Yeah, close up with a barracuda can't be fun. Can't escape them in the Keys, they are everywhere it seems...and curious

am -no i dont come across triplefins much, I think have seen one in my entire life outside the florida keys. they tend to live on coral too, so it is a pain to get I imagine. It is nearly impossible to collect a coral dwelling fish without touching the coral..maybe that is why you don't see them in the hobby much. They are a cool fish and pretty striking color. (for caribb fish at least) Never kept one though... The Rosy Blenny ihas similar behavior but with a greater range. (Looks different too, but a cool fish all the same, pappilose blennies are another one, I do see them every so often here, but still pretty rare.)

yardboy - it does, remember those red anemones you had I wrongly identified as warty nems? i found those should you ever want more, i remember you said that spot may have disappeared, that happens every so often i think...anyway they are here and there, not many but if you wanted one I could get them for you. i can get most things on the list, but to target them is a problem. i am behind a lot these days, and to target an oddball item may take 5 hours or so, making it expensive. If you are willing to wait to luck out, I bump into all those species throughout the year, just be prepared to wait. (Sometimes it also takes additional gear - scaly tailed mantis for example needs a tickle stick, something i dont normally carry). But yeah, let me know in a list and I will let you know when I can get it. 12 month turn around time or less for sure, but you will still be in the hobby so who cares. (I have to learn how to ship fish too, I am still a little unsure about a few things...)

see neya, no need to apologize for rambling^

Great John. i'm a patient man. My trip to Tom's on Islamorada isn't until May, when I hope to gather the critters for a symbiotic relaitonship involving CurlyCue's, anemone and snapping shrimp and cardinal fish. Spots already cleared in the tank but I won't buy it if I can collect it! I might not love it if i did it for a living but I do love collecting stuff for my tank, and Tom can put you on stuff as common as the anemone's, shrimp and cardinals.

it is still fun, my newest tank is almost all pacific critters at the time now though...

John, I posted your list on our local forum. If you'd rather it not be there, you are the moderator on that forum so you can erase it. I've found that there are quite a few who have that interest here. Regional pride, I guess!
I picked up a couple of nice warty anemones this past weekend at our meeting frag swap. Neat to see such stuff valued. Of course, I also traded for a beautiful blue mini-maxi, what can I say?

Just thought I'd throw this in... My rosy blenny -

nice fish mudfish! He has nice color, is he shy still?

Yeah warty nems are cool until they eat your sea robin, aggregating anemone and a st thomas mushroom. I no longer like warty nems... Probably my fault though...

You know on your way back from Tom's if you want to swing through my area I can show you some things too. It will be summer then (?) and things will be slower around here so I could take the time to travel to a few places.

Sure you can post there, once I get caught up I have to take a trip over to that forum soon.... I slipped off a ledge yesterday and landed on some oysters so I am short a hand at the moment, but next week I should be heading over there. Flip flops aren't work shoes apparently