Help to Settle the Desjardinii Tang Debate -- WWC Purchase

[twentyleagues]

Currently i found 3 "different" sailfin desjardini tangs on WWC all with diffrent price points. That feels like purposeful misdirection to me if they are all in fact the "same" fish diffrent conditions.
With wrasse they will atleast use the term "supermale" to denote a "super" specimen not have a diffrent name attached to up the price.

I'm just going by their reputation alone. They seem like one of the companies least likely to do this on purpose. Maybe it a supply chain thing, I worked in retail and at an lfs long enough to know what you ordered and what was shipped are not always the same. Do they have a staff member that is qualified enough on one species of fish or multiple to distinguish between slight variations in catch location or subspecies differences? at different life stages? Maybe but probably not. They are probably just taking the suppliers word that is what they were sent. Now if @txmaverickmh wants to get them involved in this conversation thats up to him all ya gotta do is "@" them. The base is we are not certain. I am with you, it looks nothing like the pic well a lot like the pic but different enough to question.

 

[cdnco2004]

I would say it looks diffrent, quite a bit diffrent with the pictuees you have.

I have the same issue when looking for desjardini tangs. Vendors have these listed as WYSIWYG
top right and bottome left are same size and "same fish" but look completely diffrent pattern wise!

What site is this from?

 

[Trixter227]

What site is this from?

Violet aquarium. I have no history and i know absolutely nothing about them!

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

I’m not completely sure, but I remember reading somewhere about WWC having their fish drop shipped directly from their wholesaler who package using WWC boxes.

Might need to escalate the issue up the chain at WWC.

 

[MnFish1]

I completely concur with your comments about WWC, the reason for my disclaimer at the top of my post...in fact, I currently have a active BIG order with them...I am just confused with the significant black vs. white face...again, not throwing shade at WWC, love them, their customer service and quality of livestock/corals is top notch always!

MH

If you look at the WWC picture - the colors of the face are white spots on a dark/almost black background - your fish is the opposite. However, it could be that (as you said) there is a color change with aging. If you don't have resolution from WWC (which I'm sure you will get) - you can always use the vendor forum.

 

[Nick Steele]

So I have to say it seems like a completely different fish to me. On WWC pic the lines stop about halfway down the fish toward the head it stops at its pec fins. On your pics the lines go all the way to the bottom near the pelvic fins.


I wouldn’t be happy with the fish imo

 

[Nick Steele]

If you look at the WWC picture - the colors of the face are white spots on a dark/almost black background - your fish is the opposite. However, it could be that (as you said) there is a color change with aging. If you don't have resolution from WWC (which I'm sure you will get) - you can always use the vendor forum.

This is usually how all sellers post pictures. They take a photo in normal settings and add the fish to a black background to increase coloring.

 

[Reef By Steele]

I do not know origin on mine, but he decided to give me a good look.

 

[CCK_8814]

Was this a WYSIWYG picture or a general “stock” picture of what you could expect? If WYSIWYG it’s different. If it was an example picture then I’d say it’s pretty close and would be expected with color/marking variations in fish.

 

[NotReefsafe]

Your fish looks like the "Sri Lanka" sailfin listed on the site, not the one you ordered...but I am no expert.

 

[tnw50cal]

I just checked their website and they have 2 different size Red Sea tangs you can buy and which ever size you click on the picture stays the same. So the fish in their picture is NOT the one you get.

PS, I think the fish you got is a darn good looking fish.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I would say it looks diffrent, quite a bit diffrent with the pictuees you have.

I have the same issue when looking for desjardini tangs. Vendors have these listed as WYSIWYG
top right and bottome left are same size and "same fish" but look completely diffrent pattern wise!

The fish on the top right of this pic is not a desjardinii, it is a veliferum. The OP's fish is a desjardinii. Pretty clearly a desjardinii. Just not the exact fish in the WWC pic. If it was not a WYSIWYG fish, than that is a completely acceptable fish to be labeled as such...

Desjardinii have a spotted face and spotted tail. Veliferum have a clean white face and a yellow tail...

 

[Dingo]

I am by no means a professional on fish but I do own 4 desjardini in my tank.
I am assuming the Djibouti designation is referring to the collection site where this desjardini was collected which is located at the mouth of the Red Sea.
Depending on their mood, feeding time, or even status in the harem, my desjardini, can at times, match the facial coloration in your picture. As I type this one exhibits black facial colors and the other 3 are white faced.

 

[CCK_8814]

So @txmaverickmh was it a WYSIWYG picture or just a stock image?

 

[txmaverickmh]

Was this a WYSIWYG picture or a general “stock” picture of what you could expect? If WYSIWYG it’s different. If it was an example picture then I’d say it’s pretty close and would be expected with color/marking variations in fish.

It was not a WYSIWYG photo, but my confusion is around the stark differences between the color patterns of the sailing tangs based on different areas of collection

 

[MnFish1]

It was not a WYSIWYG photo, but my confusion is around the stark differences between the color patterns of the sailing tangs based on different areas of collection

Though I see the differences (have already posted ) - my question is who cares? And - by that I mean what is your motive. If you don't think you got what you paid for - the person to go after is the person you bought the fish from - right?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Disclaimer #1: I absolutely love WWC, I have purchased majority of my fish and corals from them, always high quality, always representative colors as in pics on website, always watch their YouTube videos, I am a Raving WWC Fan! @WWC

Disclaimer #2: I know fish change colors/patterns from Juvenile to adults...in my SW aquarium obsession, I have had juvi French angels change, chevron tang change, currently have harem of lyretail anthias with two changed to males, I get it!

I purchased the much more expensive "Djibouti" Sailfin Tang from WWC, I love the colors, the black face, and it is representative of my HS colors, The Tigers !

But, what I received does not look anything like the "Djibouti," but much more like the more common "Sri Lanka" version of the Desjardinii Sailfin Tang, see pics:

I purchased the "Djibouti Desjardini Sailfin Tang 2.75-3.75" tang from WWC for my birthday on 12/26, here is the pic from the website:

I know that simple mistakes can be made, I reached out to WWC Customer Service, and they replied that the correct fish was sent, the colors will change as the fish matures...but, I have seen one in a local fish store, approx the same size as mine, and the colors were definitely difference than my Sailfin Tang "Ricardo."

I am curious to the Tang Fish experts thoughts? My family and I LOVE Ricardo, but I definitely want credit if the wrong Desjardinii Tang was sent in error.

Thanks in Advance,

Txmaverickmh

Looks like a Red Sea Desjardini. Mine is Pacific and has a million dots

 

[MnFish1]

Looks like a Red Sea Desjardini. Mine is Pacific and has a million dots

I think he was asking if he had a "Djibouti" Sailfin Tang - are you saying he does not?

 

[txmaverickmh]

Though I see the differences (have already posted ) - my question is who cares? And - by that I mean what is your motive. If you don't think you got what you paid for - the person to go after is the person you bought the fish from - right?

Oh man, in my original post I stated… 1) my family and I love the fish, 2) the Djibouti version is 3X the cost so if mistake was made, would like a refund of difference, 3) I ALREADY reached out to WWC via phone, emailed them pics, they conveniently said I got the correct fish, colors will change up as it mature… more I talk with SW friends I am less convinced, so I decided to reach out to the greatest SW community for their insight, anything wrong with that?

As stated previously, huge WWC fan, actually have shipment being delivered today…just don’t think they sent me the right fish, but hard to prove

 

[txmaverickmh]

Thank you to all R2R members for your insight