By Dk Suria Rina PHA
A silver-white Lo-Han
fish, with its distinctive protruding forehead and "good
luck" black markings.
It is probably a
once-in-a-lifetime bargain, as far as hobby fish enthusiasts in
the country are concerned - one of the most expensive - and
popular - of all aquarium fish today, the Lo-Han, can be bought
for as low as $18 here in Brunei.
For the uninitiated, a Lo-Han,
with its distinctive high forehead, cost between $6,000 and a
whopping $38,000 - about the same price as a top-range Japanese
saloon - not very long ago. In this period of economic
uncertainty, that probably makes it one of the best investment
commodities around right now.
The Lo-Han is regarded as a
lucky charm, especially by the Chinese. Its protruding forehead,
sturdy body and playful nature not found in other fish varieties
make it stand out as an aquarium pet.
A pet shop at Kompleks Delima
Jaya in Kampung Serusop carries a wide range of Lo-Han fish with
black markings on its body, which is believed to bring good
fortune to the breeder. According to the proprietor, Mr Lim, a
new type of "Flower" Lo-Han called the Blue Lagoon is
also available at his shop.
The Blue Lagoon has red patches
on its body, which make a striking contrast to silver-white
body. Some varieties feature blue-green spots, and all are
reasonably-priced and "affordable" to fish hobbyists,
said Mr Lim.
And the current drop on the
Lo-Han's price tags gives enthusiasts "the opportunity to
own this exquisite fish," he added.
There are two types of Lo-Hans
in the market.
The "Flower" Lo Han
has dorsal and anal fins which wrap around its caudal fin,
giving the impression that they are all one huge fin. The dorsal
fin of the "Pearl" Lo-Han, on the other hand, usually
points "upward and downward." Its caudal fin is
"droopy" and usually smaller than the
"Flower" Lo-Han, despite its bigger size compared to
its cousin.
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