Hahaha I know. I still can't believe I pulled the trigger on the purchase (oooh punny, I didn't actually mean that to be punny, sorry!!) but, and it really must be the size that explains it, but he (she?) was on par with the going rate on .. say, a nicely coloured carpet anemone these days (and not even the most expensive carpets!!) That same LFS had a pair last year that I saw that was 3 times the price for the two of them. Although in a strange way I think that makes more sense that a "pair" of something is worth more than two times one individual..
Josh, it sort of depends on what your definition of reef safe is. In this genus (Xanthichthys) are the crosshatch (X. mento), blue jaw (X. auromarginatus), and sargassum (X. ringens). They are supposed to be planktivores, their mouths even turn upwards as opposed to downwards as they are interested in open water prey. Clams and corals *should* be safe, but I guess I'll find out if I'm wrong here.
That said, I'm not sure if I trust him (her?) around shrimp like cleaners or peppermints (which is why I was asking Dave about that earlier).
There are other triggers I've seen in reef tanks, huma-huma triggers, pinktails .. maybe nigers too come to think of it. Although maybe it's hit and miss and these others, I don't know. Or maybe you make a choice not to have the kind of invertebrate they go after (things like snails or whatever). But everything I've read seems to suggest the Xanthichthys triggers are OK in a reef.
My butterflies are doing way more damage to my reef anyhow (you can see in the pictures the gorgs are all closed up) and I have to make a decision about them.
I don't want to, so I keep hoping I can maybe get my other tank ready soon enough, then I'll just move everything ELSE over and keep them behind and turn this tank into a FOWLR or a BOWLR (butterflies only with live rock
). I'd love to try a pair of semilarvatus butterflies for example (oohhhh such preeeeety fish
). Failing that though I might have to catch them and sell them to someone with a FOWLR.