Really Black Volitans?

[alfon76]

Hi there:
I just purchased a very weird colored lionfish and I can hope that someone here might have seen any colored like this. It came in an Australian shipment as "lionfish" and not latin genus or species. Looks very similar to a Volitans lionfish but his colors are the weird part. He is almost solid black in the body (very dark but you can still see some pattern and stripes) and ruby red fins.
The store owner has never seen a lionfish colored like that before and he even thinks that it could be some species that is not imported too often. The animal is pretty big (about 7 inches) and looks in great shape.
I am picking him up from the store on Thursday night (I prepaid for him to make sure it didn't get sold) so hopefully I can try to get some pics posted of him. If anyone has seen any lionfish with this coloration please let me know if it is normal for the australian specimens or if it is a weird color variety of some sort.
Thanks,
Ivan

 

[irenicus]

Some Lions are black. I can't remember the members name, but he had a very very dark one too. He may chime in. Don't overpay though.

 

[jim27]

Yeah I've seen black lions too at the lfs a few times. I always assumed they were just a black version of regualr volitans, just like there are all black versions of false perc clowns.

 

[bklynz00]

Congrats !!!
I seen one posted here in the Saltwater.com forum. I wanted an all black one myself, while shopping for one I found out that they are hard to find. I think that they are neat, because not every body has 'em. I had settled for the usual black volitan. I know that if I see a all black one, I wont hesitate to purchase it. Please do post a pic when you purchase it. I would love to see it. Good luck with 'em !!

 

[alfon76]

Thanks for the input so far. SInce the lionfish was a very recent arrival I will be waiting to see what he looks like on Thursday when I go pick him up. I hope he keeps those colors because they are bizarre. I will try and post a pic here (or at least a link to the pic) as soon as possible. Also, Irenicius thanks for the advise on not overpaying. I believe the deal is very good as I purchased him for only $40.00 and that's pretty much what I have seen other Volitans for sale but at a smaller size.
Any more input, please feel free to do so as I like learning.
Thanks,
Ivan

 

[irenicus]

40 bucks... Good Price.. Go for it.

 

[alfon76]

Got the lionfish today and I have to say that he seems to be a black volitans after all. When he stressed out after being bagged, his pattern came back and the fish looked like any "regular" black Volitans but all the fins remained ruby red. After he settled into the tank his colors became very dark again and the red in the fins intensified. He ate right away and I also noticed that he has a lot of white spots in the ventral fins (not ich but actual white spots in completely black fins). I will try to post a pic ASAP and if anyone can tell me how to do so in an easy way, I will appreciate it.
Thanks,
Ivan

 

[irenicus]

I believe the white spots are part of their markings, some people worry it's ick or something else.

 

[alfon76]

Here is a very blurry picture of the Black Volitans Lionfish I purchased recently. He is always on the move so it is hard for me to get a clean pic but at least you get to see the colors. He might not be all that but I certainly have never seen a Lionfish with such dark colors in the body.
Let me know what you all think.
Thanks,
Ivan

 

[alfon76]

Here is another pic (still not a good one but less blurry).

 

[grouperhead]

Pretty black volitans. What size tank and tankmates? Bo

 

[alfon76]

He is in a 180 gallon tank. His tankmates are a panther grouper, a majestic snapper, a harlequin tusk, a purple tang, a leflip grouper and a scribbled angel. He is actually very aggressive for a lionfish. He tries to attack the Tusk and the Angel every time they pass near him. He will never be able to eat them but it is unusual for me to see a new fish in a tank, especially a lionfish, being so aggressive right off the bat.
ANy thoughts?
Ivan

 

[angelap]

There is a beautiful black lionfish at my lfs like the one you got. He is pretty big too, but I don't know how much they want for him. When I first saw him, I thought he was very unusual too. If I had a big enought tank to keep him, I would buy him just because he is so beautiful and unusual!

 

[fmarini]

HiL:
its just a darker color morph of a regular volitans lionfish. These super dark and solid dark volitans come in everyonce in a while. Mike D. has photos on his website of his solid black volitans. I would suspect that it will go back and forth between the super dark colorations and the striped pattern normal seen in P.Volitans.
Requires regular volitans care and enjoy its blackness.
frank

 

[flamingkingofhe]

interesting i wasnt aware that there were lions in such colors man i would love to get my hands on one of those vary cool!
is there a specific scientific name or regular name for these guys or is it just the same as the other volitans?

 

[lionstorm]

Originally posted by flamingkingofhe
man i would love to get my hands on one of those vary cool!

Umm no you wouldn't hehe, jk. That's an amazing Lionfish alfon, I love the red on his fins I've never seen a Lionfish look like that, awesome find!