When first imported it created quite a stir, and quickly became one of the most sought after species in the hobby, with exorbitant prices to match. Unfortunately this situation hasn't changed much to date, as so far no-one has had any success producing it commercially. In addition, the fish is apparently quite rare in its native waters and is collected from only a few remote locations. Hopefully, strong captive populations can be established in the future as, not only is it arguably the most attractive pencilfish yet seen, but surely wild stocks will begin to dwindle if they continue to be exploited for the trade.