Freshwater Fish: The endangered hobby

(by theAquarian July 3,2003)

One of the biggest complaints that I’ve heard about the Saltwater hobby was its irresponsible use of nature’s assets. As that hobby became popular, many of the fish and invertebrates that graced aquariums came at a great cost to the environment. Cyanide poisoning and coral harvesting have lead to near irreversible damage to our reefs and the fish that would reside there. However, those keeping Salt Water fish started to change. As people became aware of the problem, they started demanding tank-raised fish and corals. This change from a non-sustainable ocean source to a sustainable aquaculture source of aquarium inhabitants has helped to further the Salt Water hobby as it increases in its popularity. The increase in interested fish keepers, without a sustainable supply source of fish and invertebrates puts ever more pressure on an environment that simply cannot support the hobby alone. Thus it is vital as the Salt Water hobby marches on, that sustainable methods of aquaculture be employed to protect the hobby from destroying in the wild what it tries to showcase in the home.

While the Salt water aquarists have headed the call and begun to make ever more species of fish and coral available from tank-bred and raised stocks, they have continued under constant pressure and complaint from die-hard Freshwater aquarists. However, the time has come for those who keep Freshwater fish to adopt the same attitude of preservation that has become necessary for the Salt Water hobby to assume.

The Oceans of the world make up a biodiversity that is hard for the freshwater streams, lakes and rivers to match. However, just because freshwater has less fish available for exploitation and extinction, it doesn’t make those animals any less likely to be over-harvested.

Pet Stores commonly make distinctions of whether a specific Saltwater fish for sale is captive bred or is collected. The Freshwater sections of the same stores do not make the same distinction. When you buy a fish, unless you typically know something about the fish itself, you would have no idea if it was collected from the wild or not. In fact, where many Saltwater hobbyists put extra emphasis on buying fish that are captive bred, die-hard Freshwater hobbyists avoid the progeny of captive bred fish. A wild-caught cichlid from Lake Tanganyika, for example, will command much more interest from fish keepers than will its identical-looking counterpart that is three generations removed from the wild. Further more, some responsible Pet Stores refuse to sell wild-caught Saltwater fish that are known to have a high mortality rate. They may also choose to not sell wild-caught Saltwater specimens if captive bred individuals are available. These actions by the stores are commendable and should be rewarded by conscientious aquarists everywhere.

As the Saltwater Hobby has worked to make itself more friendly to the environment, the Freshwater Hobby has fallen behind. I propose that it is time for that to change and for the Freshwater Hobby to make a correction to itself. It is time for freshwater aquarists to become more selective over the fish that they purchase and to demand that captive bred specimens be sold whenever available, that fish who have poor survivability not be sold in stores, and that fish whose status is at all threatened in the wild not be collected or sold in stores at all.

Captive Bred Freshwater Fish

Comparative to the problems that have been confronted by the Saltwater hobby, the difficulties in breeding and raising freshwater fish are few. While there are some extremely popular fish, such as the Clown Loach Botia macracantha, that cannot be easily bred and raised, it is an exception. The majority of Freshwater fish can be easily bred and raised in aquaculture facilities, or even in people’s homes. This certainly has not been true in the Saltwater hobby. Still today in that section of the aquarium hobby, relatively few fish have been successfully bred and raised to adulthood. Many of those fish who have been raised initially suffered from faded colors which greatly lessened their value in the marketplace. Freshwater fish as a whole do not suffer from this malady either. Unlike their Saltwater cousins who require large facilities, complicated filter systems, regimented feeding schedules and extensive care, Freshwater fish will often bred in terrible conditions and their young can likewise be raised in simpler set-ups than Saltwater fry.

With such a great advantage in the ease of raising Captive Bred Freshwater Fish, one would tend to wonder why the Freshwater Hobby collects fish at all. Many fish that can be easily bred, such as Pearl Gourami and Rasboras are caught rather than captive bred. The reality of why fish are collected is that the hobby is a business, and like most businesses, it will do whatever is necessary to make a profit. The lower the cost involved in getting the fish, the higher the potential for profit. To reverse the current state of affairs, I believe the hobby as a whole must begin to demand tank-bred and raised fish. The change to carrying captive bred fish will not occur quickly. Pet Stores will certainly question whether or not they will be able to recoup the higher costs that they will pay for tank raised fish. If another store does not offer tank raised fish, that other store will likely be able to sell their fish at a lower price. It is up to hobbyists to leave those fish un-purchased. If there is no demand for a product it will disappear. Likewise, where there is a demand for a specific product, such as captive bred fish, that product will become available.

Certainly this does not mean that all collection needs to stop. There are many fish that can be collected in the wild in a sustainable fashion year after year. However, wherever possible, aquaculture should be relied upon. Just because a fish can be easily and responsibly collected this year doesn’t mean it will face dangers to its population in years to come. Loss of habitat is the major threat facing all endangered fish, and the increasing population will continue to eat away at the available habitat for fish. If we learn now not to depend on what can be collected in the wild, instead focusing on captive bred fish, we will be better prepared for whatever the future may bring to the Freshwater Hobby.

Fish with Poor survivability

Unlike the Saltwater hobby, the majority of the fish kept in the Freshwater hobby have a high survivability. There are some exceptions, notably when fish that require specific water parameters such as low pH are sold in areas where the natural pH of the water is quite high. The larger problem I’ve seen with survivability comes with keeping fish that grow far too large for hobbyists to keep. These fish often end up dead due to a combination of lack of space, food and general care. Included in this group are the ever-popular, but far too large for hobbyists’ aquariums, Arawana Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, the clown knife Chitala ornata, and the so-called hi-fin banded shark Myxocyprinus asiaticus. Even though many of these types of fish are raised in aquaculture facilities, the selling of fish that are likely to die in home aquariums is a poor practice and something that should be avoided in the Freshwater hobby as is ever increasingly done in the Saltwater hobby.

Threatened in the Wild

Though there are less fish that are threatened by the Freshwater hobby than are threatened by the Saltwater hobby, there are some very common fish that should be considered. In some cases, notably the Bala Shark Balantiocheilos melanopterus, the collection of these fish in the wild has decreased substantially as aquaculture has been employed to meet the demand. Nevertheless, aquarists should pressure stores to post whether or not the fish was wild-caught to ensure that the fish being purchased was captive bred.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has created a list of animals that at threat for extinction. You can find much of the information below at Redlist.org, though you should be prepared to do a bit of searching as the website is not limited to fish, and is somewhat unfriendly to the non-scientific minded. Each organism on the list is categorized into one of several categories, the one I concerned myself most with for this article were: Extinct (EX), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), and Lower Risk (LR). In addition to categorizing each organism to categories, further criteria are applied to each category to help explain the situation that the organism is facing in its fight for survival in the wild. (of note is that the definition process is undergoing a revision, the one used currently is the 1994 criteria commonly referred to as ver. 2.3)

The following is a list of some of the most common aquarium fish that are facing issues in the wild.

The Players

The “Bala Shark” Balantiocheilos melanopterus
The Bala or Silver shark has long been popular in the aquarium trade. They are a silver fish that is somewhat flashy to look at. Though they grow a little to large for the common 10-gallon aquarium, they nevertheless sell quite well. The Bala Shark is endangered (EN1ac). What this means is that there has been a decrease of more than 50% in the number of this fish in the wild over the last 10 years. The major reason in this case is decrease in habitat. As previously mentioned, most all Bala Sharks sold in Pet Stores today were captivity raised. However, I still recommend you make sure before you buy, and that you refuse to purchase fish that were collected from the wild.

Combtail Belontia signata
The Combtail is a lesser-seen fish in stores. It is a labyrinth fish and looks similar to a gourami, though is not as colorful as many of the gourami sold in stores. Though it is listed in a much lower threat category than the Bala Shark, LR/cd, it should nonetheless only be purchased when it is noted as having been captive bred and raised. The cd portion of its categorization means that the fish is “Conservation Dependent.” Organisms in this category are already benefiting from involvement in a conservation program. If the conservation program were to cease, then they would likely enter an elevated of threat within five years.

Betta (various species)
While we rarely see the many species of betta in stores, seeing instead only betta splendens, there are many different species in the wild. Eleven of the those species are currently red-listed, ranging in their categorization from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. The list includes a popular fish among the labyrinth community betta macrostoma. Good news for this group comes from the International Betta Congress (http://www.ibc-smp.org/), a group that is dedicated to captive breeding programs that hopefully will help to preserve the many species of betta that the public is not as familiar with, and perhaps make some of these beautiful fish available to the general public as well.

Dwarf Botia Botia sidthimunki
The Dwarf Botia is a pretty little loach that grows to just over 2 inches in length. It has been uncommon in the hobby for the last 15 years, though it was available somewhat regularly prior to that. Its current status is CR A1c, which means it is critically endangered. Critically endangered organisms are those that have had a population decrease of over 80% over the last 10 years. This truly unfortunate, as loaches do not breed easily in captivity and this fish is certainly not the exception and likely headed for extinction.

Red Rainbow Glossolepis incisus
The Red rainbow is one of many rainbow fish that are red-listed. Most are not as popular as this fish. You can find the Red Rainbow at most large pet stores. An interesting twist on this fish is that the hobby will likely have little negative impact on its fate. The area it lives is becoming heavily populated. The pollution from the population in addition to many introduced species will likely cause its extinction in the wild regardless of how many are collected for the hobby. If you find it in the stores, and are an adept breeder, it is highly recommended that you take the time to find a pair and dedicate space to this beautiful fish, raising as many fry as you can. The current status of the fish is VU A2ce, meaning that it is vulnerable. (over 20% decrease in population in the last 10 years or an expected decrease of that magnitude within the next 10 years)

Celebes Rainbow Telmatherina ladigesi
The Celebes Rainbow is a common fish in aquarium stores that benefits from a small size and intense yellow highlighting on its body. While commonly available a few years ago, it has become slightly less so as stocks have become depleted in the wild. There is some debate as to the status in the wild, it is perhaps much worse than its current categorization of VU D2. This categorization is an especially dangerous one as it signifies a population that has a very small range in the wild that could easily become endangered or extinct.

Boesemani's Rainbow Melanotaenia boesemani
This fish is a beautiful fish that most everyone gives a try when they have the chance. Unfortunately, its beauty is doing it in. Due to years of over-collecting for the aquarium trade, stocks in the wild of this fish have been severely reduced. It is categorized as EN 1ad. As previously mentioned, that means the number of fish in the wild has decreased by more than 50%, but less than 80% over the last 10 years. The major threat to this fish is considered to be over-exploitation. This is a fish that you should ONLY purchase if it is captive bred. Failure to do so will result in the extinction of the species. As mentioned before, there are many rainbowfish on the list. The most common are listed here, but it is good practice to only purchase captive bred rainbowfish.

Cherry Barb Puntius titteya
The Cherry Barb is a very popular fish in the trade, especially with new-comers. It is very colorful, and quite small, making it an easy fish to keep in a small aquarium. However, its popularity and vivid colors have hurt the natural stocks of the fish. Though not nearly as threatened as other fish listed, the Cherry Barb is currently listed as LR/cd. For beginners in the generations to come to have the opportunity to enjoy this fish, it is important that we begin now to preserve the native populations and push pet stores to only sell captive bred specimens.

Black Ruby Barb Puntius nigrofasciatus
The Black Ruby barb is a fish not commonly seen in stores. The males are highly prized for their vivid colors especially when breeding. Currently it faces many of the same struggles as the Cherry barb in the wild. It is categorized as LR/cd and should be purchased with care and bred if at all possible to help ensure the survival of the species and to help others enjoy the beauty of this fish.

Asian Arrowana Scleropages formosus
The Asian or Golden Arrowana is a rarely seen fish in stores due to it extremely high price tag. Its beauty has lead to it being over-exploited by the aquarium hobby while a slight demand for the fish as a food source has further complicated the issue. Captive bred specimens are available for a price, and wild-caught specimens are rarely available in the trade. It is currently categorized as EN A1cd+2cd.

Red-Tailed Shark Epalzeorhynchus bicolor
The last fish I hit on here is perhaps the saddest of them all. A very popular aquarium fish, the Red-Tail shark has always been appreciated for its velvety black color matched with a bright red tail. However, its popularity also marked its demise. The Red-Tailed shark is currently listed as EW on the IUCN red list. This means that the fish is extinct in the wild. The hobby has maintained the fish for many to enjoy, but it is in fact the hobby that is responsible for its extinction. The primary reason listed for the extinction of the Red-Tailed Shark in the wild was over exploitation by the aquarium hobby.

Conclusion

There are many wonderful fish in the hobby, and it would be a shame to see more of them suffer the fate of the Red-Tailed Shark. The Saltwater hobby has often been treated like a little brother to the Freshwater hobby. Now, the Saltwater hobby has grown up, and it is time for the Freshwater hobby to take a page from their book. It is time that Freshwater hobbyists take a hard look at the fish made available to them and require that captive bred fish be marketed and sold. That action in combination with continued captive breeding programs with the fish that are threatened, and a cessation of purchasing threatened fish, will help ensure the longevity of the Freshwater hobby, keeping it from making itself an endangered species.

References:

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (www.redlist.org)

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