Everett Griner talks about the ornamental fish industry in today’s Agri View.
Ornamental Fish
From: University of Florida EDIS, IFAS Extension
The Ornamental Fish Trade: An Introduction with Perspectives for Responsible Aquarium Fish Ownership1
by E. J. Livengood and F.A. Chapman2
Introduction
Ornamental fish is often used as a generic term to describe aquatic animals kept in the aquarium hobby, including fishes, invertebrates such as corals, crustaceans (e.g., crabs, hermit crabs, shrimps), mollusks (e.g., snails, clams, scallops), and also live rock. Live rock is a general term for any type of rock encrusted with, and containing within its orifices, a wide variety of marine organisms including algae and colorful sessile invertebrates. Live rock serves as the principal biological and chemical filter in many marine-type tanks, and the encrusted organisms usually provide much of the background coloration in the tank. |
The vast array of animal species that make up the generic ‘ornamental aquarium fish trade’ is staggering. Around 2,000 species and millions of specimens are traded annually in the ornamental fish trade (Table 1). The number of species is almost equally divided between freshwater and saltwater species. However, the greatest volume or number of individuals in the trade, some 90-96%, are of freshwater origin and are produced in commercial aquaculture facilities (Chapman 1997; Cato and Brown 2003).
Table 1. Approximate number of fishes, corals, and other invertebrates in the ornamental (aquarium) trade. The majority of these species are collected from the wild. Only freshwater fish species are extensively farm-raised.
Ornamental Species |
Approximate Number of Species |
Principal Geographic Regions |
Fresh-, Salt-, and Brackish- Water Fishes |
1539 |
Southeast Asia, Americas, Africa, Indonesia |
Corals (hard and soft) |
102 |
Indo-Pacific, Caribbean, the Red Sea |
Invertebrates, other (e.g., shrimps, crabs, snails, starfish) |
293 |
Indo-Pacific, Caribbean, the Red Sea |
Reference: various sources; principal, Cato, J.C., and C. L. Brown. 2003. Marine Ornamental Species: Collection, Culture, and Conservation. |
To help promote resource sustainability, the potential aquarium owner should develop a basic understanding of the industry. Where did the species originate and were they wild-caught or farm-raised? Where did either practice occur, in what manner, and how were they handled during transport or before purchase? Local clubs, aquarium magazines, textbooks, Websites in the Internet, and some specialized retailers can often answer many of these questions. A conscientious and well-informed consumer can greatly help protect wild species and safeguard the natural environment. Sustainability of a wild fisheries resource is critical to maintenance of a healthy industry.
The collection and aquaculture of aquarium fish
Footnotes
- This document is FA124, one of a series of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension. First Published: May 2007. Reviewed JApril 2014. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
- E. J. Livengood is a graduate student, School of Natural Resources and Environment; and F.A. Chapman is an Associate Professor, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; UF/IFAS Extension. Gainesville, FL 32611.