Marine Aquarium Fish Research Articles

Revealing the Appetite of the Marine Aquarium Fish Trade: The Volume and Biodiversity of Fish Imported into the United States

The aquarium trade and other wildlife consumers are at a crossroads forced by threats from global climate change and other anthropogenic stressors that have weakened coastal ecosystems. While the wildlife trade may put additional stress on coral reefs, it brings income into impoverished parts of the world and may stimulate interest in marine conservation. To better understand the influence of the trade, we must first be able to quantify coral reef fauna moving through it. Herein, we discuss the lack of a data system for monitoring the wildlife aquarium trade and analyze problems that arise when trying to monitor the trade using a system not specifically designed for this purpose. To do this, we examined an entire year of import records of marine tropical fish entering the United States in detail, and discuss the relationship between trade volume, biodiversity and introduction of non-native marine fishes. Our analyses showed that biodiversity levels are higher than previous estimates. Additionally, more than half of government importation forms have numerical or other reporting discrepancies resulting in the overestimation of trade volumes by 27%. While some commonly imported species have been introduced into the coastal waters of the USA (as expected), we also found that some uncommon species in the trade have also been introduced. This is the first study of aquarium trade imports to compare commercial invoices to government forms and provides a means to, routinely and in real time, examine the biodiversity of the trade in coral reef wildlife species.

Effects of Full‐Stream Carbon Filtration on the Development of Head and Lateral Line Erosion Syndrome (HLLES) in Ocean Surgeon

Head and lateral line erosion syndrome (HLLES) is a common but very poorly understood disease of marine aquarium fish. One suspected etiology is the use of granulated activated carbon (GAC) to filter the water. Seventy-two ocean surgeons Acanthurus bahianus were distributed among three carbon-negative control systems and three GAC-treated systems such that each tank contained approximately the same total body mass. Each replicate system was made up of two 250-L circular tanks with a common filtration system (6 fish per tank, 12 fish per replicate system). The GAC-treated tanks were exposed to full-stream, extruded coconut shell activated carbon, which produced a mean total organic carbon content of 0.4 mg/L. The results of this study indicate that extruded coconut shell activated carbon filtering at full-stream rates can cause HLLES-type lesions in ocean surgeons. The HLLES developed exponentially over 15 d, beginning in the chin region. This was followed by pitting in the cheek region, which expanded until erosions coalesced. Once the carbon was discontinued, the processes reversed in a mean time of 49 d. As the lesions healed, they reverted from the coalesced to the pitted stage and then darkened before returning to normal.

Dendromonocotyle urogymni sp. nov. (Monogenea, Monocotylidae) from Urogymnus asperrimus (Elasmobranchii, Dasyatidae) off eastern Australia

AbstractDendromonocotyle urogymni sp. nov. is described from the dorsal surface of the porcupine ray, Urogymnus asperrimus, kept at Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Dendromonocotyle urogymni can be distinguished most readily from the other 15 species in the genus by the male copulatory organ which has a distinct spherical inflation mid-way along its length. This is the first monocotylid to be described from U. asperrimus.

Growth and Survival of the Tiger Tail Seahorse, Hippocampus comes

Keeping fish in home aquaria is one of the most popular hobbies globally. The United States is the largest single market for aquarium fish (Walton 1994; Wood 2001). An estimated 11% of all U.S. households with pets keep fish (Tlusty 2002), a level similar to that in Australia, the UK, and probably in many other developed countries. Approximately 10% of all aquaria are believed to be marine, and primarily house tropical coral reef fish species (Sugiyama et al. 2004). Marine aquarium hobbyists, in particular, tend to be passionate about their aquaria, well informed, and interested in marine conservation (e.g., http://www.ems.org/marine_ aquarium_trade/aquarists_profile.html). It is ironic that well-intentioned hobbyists drive a large industry that may threaten wild populations of some coral reef fish species (Wood 2001). Up to 24 million coral reef fishes of over 1000 species are traded annually, and over 98% of these marine ornamentals are wild caught (Wabnitz et al. 2003). This is in stark contrast to the freshwater aquarium hobby in which less than 2% of fishes traded are wild caught (Sugiyama et al. 2004). While the freshwater aquarium hobby trade has made significant strides over the past few decades in the development of breeding techniques for most fishes in the trade, the marine aquarium hobby trade has lagged behind. Seahorses (family Syngnathidae) are a popular group of marine aquarium fishes. In the wild, they are found worldwide in a diverse range of marine habitats, including sea grass beds, coral reefs, mangroves, and estuaries (Lourie et al. 1999). The conservation status of wild seahorse populations is of concern as populations have declined precipitously in some places (Vincent 1996; http://www.iucn.org). One reason for the observed declines in wild populations is overexploitation: the global trade in seahorses was estimated to consume at least 20 million animals annually in 1996 (Vincent 1996). In addition to the aquarium trade, seahorses are also exploited for the traditional medicines and curios trades. Early evidence suggests that the supply of seahorses to the international marine aquarium trade has been affected by their recent listing on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (Job, personal observation). This decision, which came into effect in 2004, requires 169 countries to withhold export permits unless extraction of the seahorses can be shown to be sustainable. As a result, the global demand for seahorses is currently high, and prices have risen. Average wholesale prices for tropical seahorses in Australia, for example, have more than doubled over the past year (Job, personal observation). Approximately five tropical seahorse species are currently cultured on a commercial scale, primarily in the United States, Australia, 1 Corresponding author: Broome Aquaculture Centre, Kimberley College of TAFE, P.O. Box 1380, Broome, WA 6725, Australia. 2 Present address: Project Seahorse, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2204 Main Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4 Canada. JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY Vol. 37, No. 3 September, 2006

New perspectives on aquarium fish trade

Since the 1990s, the international market for importing aquarium fish is suspicious of stock coming from South-East Asia. Fish catches are still executed with cyanide-based toxic products. In the present paper, the potential of the French Polynesian Islands to develop a marine aquarium fish business with a new approach is explored. Coral reef fish are captured at the larval stage with crest nets, then larvae are reared in aquaria before being put on the world ornamental fish market. This approach offers several advantages: (i) larvae are captured with a passive system placed on the reef crest (crest net) that does not destroy the environment and limits the stress on collected larvae; (ii) larvae are then put into farmed basins that allow them to be controlled sanitarily; and (iii) larvae are weaned at the farm and fed rapidly with artificial food. This method increases survival rates as it eliminates the food acclimatization problem of fish captured at adult stage (main cause of fish mortality in aquaria). Overall, reared larvae will constitute a new product in terms of species, sizes and quality of ornamental fish on the aquarium market.

Analysis of the marine ornamental fish trade at ´ Ceara State, northeast Brazil

Brazil is one of the leading exporters of ornamental fishes, mostly freshwater; however, monitoring of the trade is nearly non-existent in the country. This paper provides an initial assessment of ´ a new venture, the marine aquarium fish trade at Ceara State, northeast Brazil, aiming to document the species traded, to provide preliminary estimates of numbers of specimens traded, and to identify priorities in data collection and monitoring. A total of 143 species and 199 304 fishes were traded. From the total, 109 species were native and represented 84% of the fishes traded. Thirty-four exotic species figured on the permits and amounted to nearly 16% of the exports; however, most of them consist of misidentified native species. Nearly 90% of the fish trade was directed to the international market. Official figures represent an underestimation of the total number of captured specimens.

The Marine Aquarium Fishes of Ilocos Sur

A brief profile of the marine aquarium fishing industry in Ilocos Sur was obtained through personal interview with the aquarium fishermen. The researchers went to several coastal municipalities of Ilocos Sur, like Santiago, San Esteban, Sta. Maria, Santa, Magsingal, Cabugao, and Sinait, looking for aquarium fishermen, but it was only in Barangay Nalvo, Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, where these fishermen were found. Underwater shots of the aquarium fishes, were documented in four sampling areas for a duration of six months, with the primary aim of establishing a basic knowledge on the marine aquarium fishes of Ilocos Sur. Catches of the aquarium fishermen in Nalvo, Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur supplemented the data in this municipality. Forty-five fishermen were engaged in aquarium fishing and majority earn a monthly income of P3,000.00-P3,999.00. Difficulty in catching, low prices and seasonality of aquariumfishes, and high mortality rate were among the problems encountered. Results showed that 68 species of aquarium fishes thrived in the four municipalities. Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur ranked first in terms of the diversity of marine aquarium fishes, with 64 species, followed by Cabugao, San Esteban, and Magsingal. The most dominant species were blue damsel, cleaner shrimp, domino damsel, longfin bannerfish, nine-banded cardinal fish, ordinary butterfly fish, rock lobster, scorpionfish, and lionfish.

Cyanide-free Net-caught Fish for the Marine Aquarium Trade

The International Marinelife Alliance (IMA) has been training collectors in the Philippines and Indonesia to use barrier-nets rather than sodium cyanide to capture marine-aquarium fish. Despite the training, collectors have been slow to switch to using nets because they can earn more using cyanide. A new Philippine export company has agreed to pay the collectors more for net-caught fish and to adhere to standards being set by the USA-based Marine Aquarium Council. The IMA is monitoring the collectors and conducting cyanide testing to certify that the fish are net-caught and totally cyanide-free. Clearance certificates now accompany shipments of these marine-aquarium fish being shipped to wholesalers and retailers associated with the American Marine Dealers Association (AMDA) situated in the USA and Canada. AMDA members are being surveyed to assess whether the net-caught fish are more cost competitive compared to cyanide-caught fish for the marine ornamental fish trade because of reduced mortality through the chain from reef to retailer.

Profile of the Marine Aquarium Fish Trade in Hong Kong

A market survey and review of government statistics were carried out to establish imports and exports of marine ornamental fishes into and out of Hong Kong, and to examine the local trade in terms of volume, value and species composition. Official government import figures for marine aquarium fishes were available from 1984 to 1991 and from 1997 and 1998. When compared with net imports, export and re-export volumes over the 15-year period were small, indicating that most imports entered the local market, or were exported unrecorded. The market survey of marine aquarium shops in Hong Kong was carried out between August 1996 and January 1997. From this survey, an annual estimate of 957,563 coral reef fish was calculated for the local trade, valued at HK$57,453,780, with a mean retail price of HK$60 per fish. These figures account for an estimated 2–3% of the global value and volume of marine aquarium fish trade, according to 1992 figures and, compared with government figures, indicate that official declarations of imports are underreported by at least 2–3 fold. A total of 342 marine aquarium fish species, from 49 families, were recorded with about 60% belonging to the families Labridae, Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae and Pomacentridae. It was estimated that a large proportion of the trade was in juvenile fishes and almost all fish were less than 10 cm in standard length. It was common to see fishes in poor condition, species hard to maintain in captivity, or those listed for conservation concern, on sale. There are no regulations for local traders of live marine fishes other than those relating to either protected species or animal welfare. Licensing of traders in marine fishes could be introduced under existing Hong Kong legislation if fishes were to be re-classified as animals. This is strongly recommended as a step towards regulating and managing the trade in Hong Kong.

Histological effects of cyanide, stress and starvation on the intestinal mucosa of Pomacentrus coelestis, a marine aquarium fish species

The histological effects of cyanide, stress and starvation on the gastrointestinal tract of Pomacentrus coelestis, a common marine aquarium fish species, were investigated. Neither anaesthetic cyanide nor stress were found to have any detectable effects on the mucosal lining of the intestine. However, starvation resulted in a significant reduction in the intestine length, the surface area of the intestinal mucosa and the mucosal thickness, all occurring within 13 days.

Redescription of Benedenia epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1937) Meserve, 1938 (Monogenea: Capsalidae) from cultured and aquarium marine fishes of Japan

The monogenean Benedenia epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1937) Meserve, 1938 is redescribed and reported for the first time from the fins, eyes, and body surface of cultured marine fishes of Japan. Because of close similarity in the general morphology of the reproductive system and median sclerites, comparable morphometrics, and the presence of a flap slightly left of the common genital aperture, Benedeniella congeri Yamaguti, 1958 (= Neobenedeniella congeri (Yamaguti, 1958); Benedenia congeri (Yamaguti, 1958)) and Benedenia sp. of Tsutsumi and Ito, 1965 are synonimized with this species. Twelve new hosts are presented, bringing the total number of known hosts to 25 (11 Tetraodontiformes, 9 Perciformes, 3 Scorpaeniformes, 1 Pleuronectiformes, and 1 Anguilliformes). The ability of B. epinepheli to cause death of cultured fishes during heavy infection, and its low host specificity, ubiquitous distribution in western Japan, and the high susceptibility of marine aquarium fishes are indicative of the parasite's great potential to become a disease problem.

Diseases Caused byTrichodina spheroidesiandCryptocaryon irritans(Ciliophora) in Wild Coral Reef Fishes

Very heavy infections of Trichodina spheroidesi apparently killed wild specimens of orange filefish Aluterus schoepfi and whitespotted filefish Cantherhines macrocerus in Puerto Rico. Possibly it is a primary pathogen under some conditions. The hyperparasite Endosphaera engelmanni occurred in this protozoan, and thus the range of both parasites was extended from the temperate zone to the tropics. Sand drums Umbrina coroides, collected off Humacao, Puerto Rico, had heavy infections of Cryptocaryon irritans, which has seldom been shown to injure wild fishes. We have not seen other examples of these diseases in more than 3,000 specimens of 270 species of wild marine fishes examined in Puerto Rico, although Cryptocaryon irritans is common in local marine aquarium fishes. Sharpnose puffers Canthigaster rostrata often cause outbreaks of Cryptocaryon irritans when placed in marine aquaria.

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this articles: Animal Microbiology, Volume 1. By A. Buxton and G. R. Fraser. Disease of Marine Aquarium Fishes. By Mark P. Dulin All about Marine Aquarium Fish Diseases. By C. Heinz‐Hehmann Reichenbach‐Klinke. The Eel. By F. W. Tesch. Textbook of Fish Culture, Breeding and Cultivation of Fish., 2nd edn. By M. Huet. Parasite Invasion. Symposia of the British Society for Parasitology, Volume 15. Edited by Angela E. R. Taylor and R. Muller. Fluorescent Protein Tracing, 4th edition. Edited by R. Q. Nairn. Organization of Nematodes. Edited by N. A. Croll. Biochemistry of Parasitic Protozoa. By W. E. Gutteeidge and G. H. Coombs. Marine Helminths and Human Health. By H. H. Williams and Ablene Jones. Anthelmintic Control of Parasites in Fish. Helminths in Fish in Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania and Yugoslavia. Technical Hematology, 2nd edn. By A. Simmons

Conservation and the Tropical Marine Aquarium Trade

Although mainly developed in the last ten years, the international trade in tropical marine aquarium fishes has now reached remarkable proportions; in the U. S. A. the annual sales of aquaria, aquarium supplies, and aquarium fishes, probably approach US$ 600 millions, while estimates of the numbers of marine aquarium fishes exported each year from the Philippines alone range from about 3 to over 30 millions, valued at approximately US$ 1.25 million to over 6 millions. The exporting areas include the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Mauritius, the U.S.A. (Hawaii and Florida), and several Caribbean islands. The main importing countries are the U.S.A., Hong Kong, West Germany, Japan, U.K., Italy, Belgium, Canada, Australia, France, Holland, and Switzerland.Species extermination through this trade alone is scarcely conceivable, but local extinctions may occur, and indirect effects of collection of these fishes include accompanying destruction of the coral-reef habitat, changes in natural ecosystems, and the possibility of successful introduction of exotic species into areas where they did not occur previously (notably, Indo-Pacific species into the Caribbean). Clearly the trade will continue; but the current exploitation is inefficient, and controls must be applied both towards rational utilization of the resource and, as the most accessible and richest reefs are the most heavily exploited, towards a reduction of conflict between different uses of the resource.