If You Unknowingly Purchased And Endangered Species Of Fish

[steelhealr]

This situation recently arose and I'm curious about what our members would do. SH

 

[riverman444]

Any fish in a LFS would have a 500% better chance of survival in one of my tanks than most fish-buyers', let alone the shop tanks. I would buy it, just to save it's life.

 

[wendywc]

I voted to keep it and notify Fish&Game. The LFS would probably just sell it to someone else, if I returned it... or like fishkiller_nomore said, they might destroy it.

 

[Dwarfs]

If I didn't know it was endangered and I bought it, I would keep it (Because it would survive in my aquariums, not in the pet store)

However, If I knew the fish was endangered, I would notify higher authoriries so that the fish could be given to an expert breeder or someone who could help the species

 

[Torrean]

lot's of aquarium fish are endangered. Define endangered. WCMM are extinct in the wild if I remember correctly.

 

[WayneVT08]

WCMM? If I unknowingly bought it I would keep it, then sell it or give it to an expert breeder.

But if I did know, I would insist the manager take it off the shelf and hand it over to an expert breeder.

 

[Tolak]

If I spotted one in a shop I would pay for it & ask them to hold it for a few hours while I drop off some of my fish at a friends house to make a little tank space. When I got home I would get on the phone with some of the older club members. These guys have been keeping & breeding fish longer than I have been alive. They have forgotten more than I know. They have been in this situation before.

Unknowingly bringing one home would consist of the same series of phone calls. It would certainly get it's own tank if this took a bit of time to figure out.

I generally distrust the government. The DNR is a government agency. If I thought I could give this fish a better chance of survival without having to go through extrordinary measures than a group of government employees I would do so. If it required equipment or measures beyond my means I would do everything I could to find someone who has a proper situation for the fish. Dealing with the government is a last resort for me in any situation.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i would keep it and chuck it out my window on the freeway









just kidding, if i saw it in my lfs, i would buy it and try to give it to the academy of sciences ( http/www.calacademy.org/ ) and make sure they put my name and picture on the exhibit once it goes up

 

[CatLover]

I agree with Tolak.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Keep/buy it and make sure it ended up with a breeder. As others have said, its chances in the lfs is likely to be less than if I pulled out all stops for it.

Whether I notified the authorities would depend on why the species in question is endangered. Let's remember aquarists are not always the villains- they are sometimes the heroes and the only reason a species survives at all. As witness the goodeids. Wholesale Tropicals are currently stocking Ameca splendens, a species endangered in the wild due to pollution/shrinking of habitat, but surviving in quite healthy numbers in captivitiy. These fish must be captive surplus stock from a breeder's tank.

Speaking of which, could someone supply a link explaining why WCMs are extinct in the wild? Is it because of overcollecting, or because of environmental problems (of which China has a fair few).

 

[Jules H-T]

Would depend if they were making a habit of stocking wild caught endangered species for me really. If they were, the only responsible thing to do is to involve the authorities.

If they weren't, and it was there accidentally (mislabeled or something), then giving finding a home for it would hold no ethical issues for me either.

 

[Mr Miagi]

Id keep the fish. If you gave it back to the LFS and let them know, the majority of stores would sell it again at x100 the original price. If you returned it and notified the appropriate authorities they would take the fish and destroy it (if it was a noxious or illegally imported fish), or do nothing, except fine the LFS.

If I saw one in a store, I would report it. (I have done this infact, twice, both illegally caught fish, and cannot be sold).

 

[Bloo]

Keep/buy it and make sure it ended up with a breeder. As others have said, its chances in the lfs is likely to be less than if I pulled out all stops for it.

Whether I notified the authorities would depend on why the species in question is endangered.

That's exactly what I would do

Ps: so didn't actually vote as that wasn't clearly an option.

 

[Mikaila31]

Boesemani rainbow fish are endangered . The are on the IUCN red list , they are endangered from over harvesting. For some reason though you can easily get these fish from Petco for $12. I have 3 and i'm hoping to try to breed them as soon are i find a female, which so far has been very difficult .

 

[FishOwner]

The problem is that there are alot of fish that are on the endangered list yet they are being bred commercially. It has more to do on their being endangered in the wild. Habitat destruction and all that. But if I knew that the fish being sold was something not being bred in captivity (like the leafy sea dragons) then I would have to notify the authorities. Not only to prevent that store from making any money on selling the animal illegally, but also to perhaps prevent this particular species from entering the country again (find the source type thing).
And as a note to the LFS, they should know every single fish that they sell. It's their business, and ignorance is not an excuse! (My fave Judge Judy line! )