Origin of Aquarium Fish

Most freshwater fish that are regularly offered in pet shops come from local offspring. It is estimated that, annually, there are 300 million ornamental fish that are used for the aquarium trade.

The fish are grown primarily in Southeast Asia. Breeding centers are mostly located in the hinterland of Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok, and to a lesser extent in Sri Lanka, Japan and Taiwan.

In addition, large ornamental fish breeding takes place in North and South America, in some South American countries, Israel and the Czech Republic. Germany’s largest ornamental fish breeders are based in Bad Lauterberg and annually breed about one million ornamental fish. Breeding sites for marine fish have been increasing, primarily since the mid-1990s.

For aircraft transport to the importing countries, the fish are usually packed in bags that are filled with water and one third to two thirds with air or oxygen. Tanks are used in the labyrinth fish species, such as catfish, because they also breathe atmospheric air. For them, pure oxygen would be deadly. Occasionally, a narcotic is added to the water so that the metabolism of the fish is not too high and the water is not too much of a burden.

Ornamental fish exporters also permit their fish a number of days before transporting in order to keep the water load. The bags are then packed in Styrofoam boxes and flown to their destinations. One of the major freight airports where many fish arrive is the Frankfurt airport. Importers are usually wholesalers who keep the fish in quarantine tanks and, as a rule, sell them after only seven to fourteen days.

As before, the world will also take fish, plants and invertebrates from the wild for the export of animals and plants. Especially in countries with low per capita income in rural areas, this may represent a substantial income for part of the population. Fish are regularly imported that have no, or very difficult to determine, breed compliance. In addition, there is a large demand for new aquariums. The number of wild fish is estimated at thirty million per year.

The negative impact of the collection of fish and plants has been critically discussed again and again. When criticisms are mentioned, a particular criticism is that in the taking of reef fish, coral reefs are not only destroyed but many other species are taken as bystanders. The looting is so great that it leads to a collapse of fish populations.

Collecting expeditions are lengthy, costly and not always successful. The transport to the export centers can be very stressful for the animals. Many aquarists think, therefore, only fish from offspring should be used.

In a 1997 survey conducted in the United States, which had specialized in freshwater aquariums, two thirds of respondents indicated that they would prefer to buy fish from offspring as opposed to wild catches. Eighty percent of respondents also indicated that, through quotas to ensure the survival of the species, the only fish that should enter the trade should be either locally or directly derived from offspring.