Ruby Scat $40?

[jtipton]

My LFS has 3 Ruby scats for sale:

Juvenile 1" Brackish $40
Young 2" Marine $30
Adult 5" Marine $50

I'm not sure about the pricing. I have seen Green scats sold for $15 at other local stores, but no other Reds. Is the Ruby scat somehow more expensive? The juvenile has vivid coloration of black and white stripes, with bright red spots on his dorsal section. The other 2 are almost black, and look unhappy in the marine conditions. They said it was NORMAL for scats to change colors like that. They look sick to me. Any help is appreciated.

 

[nmonks]

Ruby scats are a colour variety of the standard green scat species, Scatophagus argus. It's a less common fish in the trade, and consequently more expensive. Once it matures though it looks much the same as the green scat to me eyes, i.e., a bronze sort of colour with dark brown spots.

The African scat Scatophagus tetracanthus is the only other species in the genus, and is very different in appearance both as a youngster and an adult, having vertical bands rather than spots. It is rare in the trade, and always expensive.

As Margaret Thatcher famously remarked: something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If these fish are sufficiently attractive and interesting to you that the price tag is justified, then go for it. That said, these prices are a little higher than I'd expect similar fish to go for in the UK. Some of that may be because the US dollar is currently worth less than loo paper in terms of foreign exchange, and consequently importing wild-caught fish is going to be more expensive. Either way, these aren't common fish in the trade, and the prices aren't exorbitant. Scats are universally hardy and long-lived, so if the fish are in good condition, there's no harm in paying a little more than you'd expect to spend on, say, tank-bred angelfish.

Cheers, Neale

 

[jtipton]

After some more research, I believe these specimens may actually be the Scatophagus tetracanthus that you mentioned. Here is a picture of a fish that looks very similar to the fish that I am describing:

Is this fish worth that kind of money? Thanks again.

 

[nmonks]

If you're asking are S. tetracanthus rare and expensive, the answer is yes. They're lovely fish though, and I'd consider $30 a steal. Do remember they're euryhaline fish, so even if in marine water now, you can acclimate them to brackish or freshwater conditions in minutes. Long term though they do need SG 1.005 or more, and ideally around 1.008-1.012.

Cheers, Neale

 

[jtipton]

I went for it. I took the little one because he looked the healthiest. I even talked him down to $30. When I got him home, his white stripes had turned gray and he was very dark. Is this because of the stress of being moved? His color is improving, so I hope it was only temporary. I think the larger one at the store is actually a red scat, as he has spots instead of stripes. There was also one with spots and stripes.

 

[jtipton]

I went for it. I took the little one because he looked the healthiest. I even talked him down to $30. When I got him home, his white stripes had turned gray and he was very dark. Is this because of the stress of being moved? His color is improving, so I hope it was only temporary. I think the larger one at the store is actually a red scat, as he has spots instead of stripes. There was also one with spots and stripes.