Are fish mostly captive bred?

[rich]

Are the tropical fish we keep discussing captive bred or taken from the wild. I take it the standard ones (neons, guppies etc.) are all farm bred. But there was one I noticed as labelled wild in my LFS.

I wouldn't want to take any from the wild and deplete stocks (any breeding I do will be more by luck than management). However, if, as I read the other day, many wild habitats are becoming polluted we must be on a downward spiral anyway.

And the fish are the innocent party!

 

[WILDER]

Yes they do take fish from the wild, and same as you have stated I don't agree with it either, for alot of reasons, 1 poor thing be taken from the wild and put in a tank isn't far, and we weaken their breeding pattern aswell.

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

where do you think fish came from in the first place?
they sure didn't knock on someones door carrying a tank did they now!!

 

[sylvia]

Yes, there are many fish taken from the wild but there are also many regularly bred and raised in captivity. I don't like the thought of taking fish from the wild either but there is a huge demand for them (take for example many L numbered plecs and saltwater species) that just begs to be satisfied and for as long as this exist there will always be suppliers. My only hope is that we research the natural behaviour of these wild-caught fish more carefuly and start breeding them in captivity as well.

 

[guppymonkey]

Most freshwater tropical fish are captive bred now, but some are still taken from the wild. Its more of a problem for salt water fish then fresh but its still a growing concern. Some species are actually being decimated by aquarium enthusiasts that will buy wild caught fish. On the other hand, some species are being saved by being taken out of their endangered habitat and being bred in captivity.

 

[bunjiweb]

I think that only a very very limited number need to be taken from the wild each year, obviously to reduce the ammount of inbreeding. Apart from this I dont agree with the mass capture of fish in the wild as it affects their natural breeding patterns and obviously can lead to a drastic environmental effect.

Ben

 

[CFC]

Anyone who thinks that the majority of fish are captive bred is kidding themselves, the majority of fish are still taken from the wild and the only ones that are captive bred are the very common community type fish and most Cichlids and livebearers.
Almost all Corydoras with the exception of bronze and peppered are wild caught as are L number plecs, none of the Pimeloid species (pim pictus, shovelnoses etc) have been captive bred as well as most other catfish species, Cardinal tetras are still all taken from the wild from managed sections of river and almost all oddball and predatory species will be wild caught, it would be far easier to list the fish that are not wild caught than it would be to list the ones that are.

 

[rich]

Hopefully all mine are captively bred. White clouds are thought to be extinct in the wild, so they must be farmed.

 

[Morrgan]

There is the consideration that the aquarium fish trade is actually conserving nature as well. The people catching these fish for a living have to be conserned about preserving the environment and keeping it pollution-free, or otherwise the lose their means to make a living. I don't know how much effect this has in reality overall, but I do know it is a factor in some parts of the world.

 

[Vip]

99% of wild caught cichlids are bred in fish nets on the sides of the rivers.

 

[chishnfips]

where do you think fish came from in the first place?
they sure didn't knock on someones door carrying a tank did they now!!

OMG are you serious. don't they? LOL.

 

[Fawke]

Have none of you guys watched finding nemo?
Evil diver, evil evil evil.......

On a serious note (great topic btw), studying fish breeding habits, routines, instincts is a fascinating job.
Capturing one for research is completely different to bulk catching for wholesale and resale in our aquatics shops.

I have pim pictus, that i know are most definately not captive bred, as its never been done.
Are they becoming extinct or threatened? i have no idea.....

I guess what im trying to say is, if we don't know enough about capturing wild fish for resale - we cant really comment...
I have no idea what species are/are not becoming threatened due to aquarists...

I find it strange that so many ppl have such strong views against it when i bet very few have little knowledge of where the fish actually came from (i mean the individual fish, not the species)....

Again, a good topic...

 

[Waterloo Kid]

It is in the interst of the hobby to captive breed fish PROPERLY. A captive bred fish will be cheaper than a wild caught fish. Cheaper fish sell more.
Unfortunately, a lot of captive breeding is done soley in the interests of making money. Hormone treatment and inbreeding are two main problems with batch farming that weakens the strain of captive bred fish. Nobody wants a deformed, dwarfed or less hardy fish (well, I don't anyway).
I personally think that harvesting wild fish on a very managed scale, using morally acceptable methods, is good for the species as a whole. It makes them, and their environment, valuable. The only thing that will save habitats these days is if the value of the habitat and/or species outstrips the potential value of destroying that habitat and/or species. It's down to the green stuff again, unfortunately. Maybe there should be a sustainable programme set up (like the logo you see when you buy wood taken from sustainable forests) for fish.

WK

 

[Bignose]

Consider also that many wild cuaght species actually live a more full, and almost certainly happier and more peaceful life in aquariums. No predators, a constant food supply, no dry season for your river/lake to dry up. Many wild fish die off because of these things above. Yes, it is stressful -- lots of moving, and acclimating to different water supplies, but if you make it through that, you are living in fishy-heaven-on-earth.

It really is all how the wild population is taken care of, and not over-farmed. The cardinal tetra and clown loach are pretty good examples of taking plenty for aqaurium trade, but the wild populations are thriving still. On the other hand, the red-tail black shark is probably the worst off. This is where further research and reporting is needed to make decisions on what fish you choose to buy.

 

[CFC]

RTBS are thought to be extinct in the wild due to habitat destruction.

Bringing up dry seasons is a interesting point, many of the species we keep only live for one year as all the adults die off each dry season leaving only the fry which can survive in the tiny pools of water that are left.