Clownfish are becoming endangered due to high demand

[soarin']

Apparently the movie "Nemo" didn't do the clownfish any favors, and way too many people are "finding Nemo" at their local LFS's.

Here's an article at (unfortunately at fox news) about how some clownfish populations in nature are dwindling to the point where it is hindering breeding :

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,372242,00.html">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,372242,00.html</a>

Personally I think that all "high demand" fish should be sold as captive-bred only. If the cheap fish were more expensive I think people would put a lot more thought into their care, rather than just going back to the LFS to get another when the first goes belly-up.

Breeders would finally have the incentive to go and find out how to breed the fish that we love, and the industry knowledge would go way up in general.

Plus you would see many fewer "knuckle-head" incidents like the one in the youtube video where the kids fed the fish to the anemone. One kid would be saying -- "hey, don't do that -- I spent $40 on that fish!". And you would have many fewer fish dying from cyanide poisoning, or from the stress of acclimating to aquarium life.

The article quotes a professor at a university who has been studying their populations for 5 years saying that clownfish (it doesn't specify exactly which species) should be listed as endangered.

edit: I am sure that some will argue with me and say that they are not becoming endangered in the wild. I am no expert, and there will always be arguments until no one can find one anymore. The point is that wild populations seem to be on a downward curve, and this guy probably wouldn't go public unless his colleagues would support him on this or he would risk losing his reputation.

 

[fishfiend]

Here's the the LFS's, hobbyists, collectors/breeder/wholesalers who do the right thing and spread the word of education and proper care. Hopefully more get the idea.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

That article was ridiculous. Since when do clownfish shoal? There are dozens of species of clownfish, which ones is he talking about? Populations going from 25 to 6? One hungry fish could do that in 10 minutes!!

I dont debate conservation is critical, but there are FAR more important fish in this limelight. Bangaii cardinals are in EXTREME danger in the wild, yet they are collected rampantly. I would not doubt at all that wild bangaiis soon become extinct. Yet, go to nearly any online vendor or dealer, and they will sell wild bangaiis.

 

[thedeper]

Thanks, now I feel great since I just bought my first clown about 20 minutes ago...(the article not you panda)

 

[soarin']

I agree that the article was pretty crappy--- the professor could just be some guy trying to get famous.

But my point is driven by the fact that I lost a mandarinfish in a tank crash, and want to replace the mandarin with a mated couple, but mandarinfish are getting rarer in the wild all the time. So if I buy a couple from the LFS, then that will be a couple that will not be breeding in the wild.

They are still pretty cheap I guess, but the price probably won't jump a lot until they get REALLY hard to find and everyone agrees on that point.

Here's a blog where they are discussing how spearing the fish with a mini-speargun is an improvement over cyanide collection. Which is true, but i still think it is sad when you think about all the fish that get one in the gut instead.

I would really love it if people started breeding mandarinfish, but there's no way to economically justify it until it gets illegal to import them.

At least with clownfish there are many people making a living breeding them.

Just like the cardinals, which I didn't know about -- I think there are probably other fish in the same boat.

 

[stickx911]

what is funny to me is that the whole point (that I took from it) to the movie was to point out how terrible the hobby is to wild animals (fish).

 

[george]

thedeper;193251 wrote: Thanks, now I feel great since I just bought my first clown about 20 minutes ago...(the article not you panda)

If it was an ocellaris clown (which is what Nemo is, I think), odds are it was tank raised anyway. The majority of the ones I've seen in the stores have been tank raised.

 

[mojo]

jmaneyapanda;193250 wrote: I dont debate conservation is critical, but there are FAR more important fish in this limelight. Bangaii cardinals are in EXTREME danger in the wild, yet they are collected rampantly. I would not doubt at all that wild bangaiis soon become extinct. Yet, go to nearly any online vendor or dealer, and they will sell wild bangaiis.

Can you back that up with an article? While I was in Indonesia (specifically Lembeh Straits, where a lot of the famous much diving is), bangaii cardinals were everywhere - almost a nuisance. They were introduced by, of all things, a local reefer, and they've spread because there's no natural predators.

My observations aren't enough to establish a worldwide pattern, but it at least shows that they're resililant somewhere...

George;193314 wrote: If it was an ocellaris clown (which is what Nemo is, I think), odds are it was tank raised anyway. The majority of the ones I've seen in the stores have been tank raised.

I was thinking the same thing - I'd be a little surprised if wild ocellaris populations were diminishing because of aquarium demand...

 

[stickx911]

mojo;193397 wrote: Can you back that up with an article?

They are listed as endangered.

 

[stickx911]

some of the info:

Several subpopulations affected by the aquarium fishery exhibited dramatic declines between 2001 and 2004, among them: a complete extinction of a subpopulation was documented off Limbo Island in 2004. According to a 2001 census this subpopulation was composed of about 50,000 fish (densities = 0.02 fish/m²); and a small subpopulation off Bakakan Island that harbored 6,000 fish in 2001 was reduced to 17 individuals in 2004 (Vagelli 2005).

Based on the very small area of occupancy (AOO), the severe fragmentation (see the documentation below) and the ongoing continuing decline (local extirpations and marked decrease in population size in recent years) due to exploitation for the international aquarium trade, this species is assessed as Endangered under Criterion B.

 

[stickx911]

<span style="font-size: 11px;">more data in case you don't want to read all the way through.

An estimated minimum of 600,000 to 700,000 individuals were collected per year by local fishers prior to 2001. current harvest rates are believed to exceed 700,000 to 900,000 fish/yr (Vagelli 2005)

Soon after the Banggai Cardinalfish appeared in the aquarium trade, a breeding programme was developed at the New Jersey State Aquarium (Vagelli 1999). But apparently no concerted effort within the aquarium trade has been made to replace wild-caught fish with captive-bred fish (Vagelli 2002, 2004b). As this fish can be reared through its entire life cycle in captivity (Vagelli 1999), it is strongly recommended that efforts be developed to raise this species in captivity and in the field (it is highly recommended that such efforts be undertaken in partnerships with local communities, preferably in Indonesia, to avoid removing livelihoods from the area). Such initiatives would reduce the need to capture wild specimens to supply the trade and reduce impact on existing populations in the region.

<span style="font-size: 12px;">so buy them tank raised!</span>
</span>

 

[jmaneyapanda]

..

 

[jmaneyapanda]

mojo;193397 wrote: Can you back that up with an article? While I was in Indonesia (specifically Lembeh Straits, where a lot of the famous much diving is), bangaii cardinals were everywhere - almost a nuisance. They were introduced by, of all things, a local reefer, and they've spread because there's no natural predators.

My observations aren't enough to establish a worldwide pattern, but it at least shows that they're resililant somewhere...

Interesting...I can locate a LOT of data to show their endangeredness (is that a word?) in their native habitat, but I havent really looked into their invasive populations. I will have to do that, although I guessing there wont be a lot of info on that if it is a new population.

Stickx has a good start, the IUCN just raised a nasty stink over these guys, although CITES crapped the bed in not classifying them as CITES I.

http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/63572/summ">http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/63572/summ</a>

edit- oh, thats the same link as stickx gave. Im a retard.

 

[zdaytonaroadster]

its from Faux news, so you gotta know its crap

 

[ericmcj31]

I'm just curious if a clown and card are a LFS's "bread and butter" I wonder what the markup is on one- what they pay vs. at what price they sell-etc.

 

[victor626nj]

nemo was based on the true perc .... but people always get false percs cause they look the same and they are tanks raised anyways ...at leaste 95% of the time