FOTM Jan 2011: Bearded Ghoul - Choridactylus multibarbus

Thought I'd introduce to you, another of my fish.... the Bearded Ghoul. This little guy is the most odd and most popular of my collection and he was featured in Reeflife magazine and in Frank Marini's book "Lionfish and Scorpionfish".

A finer sandbed is a must with this guy, for he is often found throughout the day buried in the sand.



But bright colours always mean something in nature and this guy is no exception. Those colours are a warning that this guy packs a whallop of a sting. He's related to the stone fish with venom to compare.

But when he's REALLY ticked, he will turn back on to you and flash the yellow backs of his fins as you can see in this video.

They don't have a swim bladder, so they rarly are found in the water column, but don't doubt these guys can get "up there". They may be a clumbsy "swimmer" but they can do it. If you rock is pilled high enough, they can also jump out.

My guy would not eat from a stick. Every time I tried, he would flash and turn his back on me. I started feeding him PE mysis with hidden chunks of fish flesh "sent down" to him via a tube.

You can see in this pic he is hungry and is staring at his food corner waiting for the delivery.



Here you can see the delivery:

He moves his finger appendanges through out the sandbed, looking for the food.

Since we moved, he's been in an 18g but will soon move to a 30g. At 4-5" long and being a minimally moving fish, he doesn't require more.

 

Excellent write up for an awesome fish! I love your fish they are so cool, but I would never attempt to keep one. Thank you for sharing!


Are you a famous lionfish or scorpian fish researcher? I noticed your name is incognito, you have been in the hobby for a long time, and you have the most amazing collection of those fish.

 

I wish! I've just been a lucky hobbyist. But I DO work with research that drives the protocols in my unit.... but nothing with fish.

I've always been around fish in some compacity.... my peeps are fisherman and we had an island we would go to every summer to "play with the fish".... and then eat them.

Working were I do and my husband does, we have access to a lot of equipment most hobbyist don't. It means I can poke around the fish a little better. When a fish dies, I send them off for a necropsy, which offers up a lot of info and directs my future care. I keep data books of everything which is now a tower of books.

I collect all sorts of cool stuff from work. One time I spent a month tube feeding a sick seahorse with an IV catheter.

 

Great write up, beautiful fish, thanks for sharing

 

Amazing, incognito. Interesting writeup. Your comments about data collecting are quite impressive as well. Thank you

 

WAY TOO COOL, but that thing gives me the creeps walking across the substrate like that. and that scowl on his face.. chills down my spine.

 

Added to my faves! I'm on the lookout for me one

 

That is a very cool fish. Thanks for sharing that! I was watching the "fingers" video and had to double take...I mistook the spitting sand for a lizard type tongue at first! Whhhaaat? LOL

 

Some of my fish turn their heads to look at you. They can be very lizard like.

 

Really neat bud! Great pictures for a totally cool fish!