The World's Forgotten Fishes - 32

Needless to say, a major industry has
grown up on the back of our passion for
pet fish. Today, some 5,300 species of
ornamental fish - 90 per cent of which
are tropical freshwater species - are
traded every year in 125 countries, at
a retail value of US$15-30 billion52.
Around 30 species dominate the
market, the most common are the
guppy, neon tetra and molly. Around
90 per cent of traded fish now originate
from ones bred in captivity but certain
species continue to be harvested from
the wild, while captive stocks must
be bolstered by wild stocks from time
to time to maintain genetic health.
Like inland fisheries and angling, this
is an industry that needs thriving
populations of freshwater fishes in
healthy freshwater ecosystems.
However, there are concerns about
the impacts of the industry, which can
be a pathway for the introduction of
invasive non-native species (through
poorly managed breeding facilities and
pet keepers releasing fish that grow too
large for their tanks). The guppy, for
example, a diminutive fish originally
native to the Lesser Antilles, is now
established in at least 69 countries on
every continent except Antarctica53.
Problems also arise from overharvesting and destructive harvest
techniques in the wild, and high levels
of mortality can occur from poor
handling and long quarantines54.
Take Brazil's strikingly attractive,
black-and-white striped zebra catfish.
Endemic to a small portion of the
Xingu river, it was caught and sold at
such an unsustainable rate that it was
added to Brazil's list of threatened
species in 2004 and the government
banned its export to give it a chance

© Meridith Kohu t/ WWF-US

6. THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR PETS

of surviving in the wild. The species is
now bred in large quantities in high
tech facilities in Asia, but the remaining
wild populations are still threatened
by poaching and plans to build
hydropower dams in the Amazon55.
Without urgent action, the only living
specimens of this catfish will be the
ones born and raised in aquaria.

the cardinal tetra trade on the Rio Negro
has become a model of sustainability
with the local communities catching
the fish from the shaded rainforest
pools where they gather during the dry
season, and spending the rest of the year
acting as forest stewards, conserving the
ecosystem that sustains the tetras -
and their communities and culture.

On the other hand, while data are hard
to come by, sustainably managed wild
fisheries supplying the aquarium trade
can provide much-needed incomes in
poor communities and an incentive
to conserve specific species and their
freshwater habitats. Take cardinal
tetras. The vivid reds and blues of these
gloriously beautiful fish flash through
many a home aquarium. Native to the
upper Orinoco and Rio Negro in South
America, these tiny fish account for
an impressive 70 per cent of Brazil's
ornamental fish exports - supporting
10,000 jobs and 80 per cent of the
economy around the city of Barcelos.
Through the Project Piaba initiative56,

Another aquarium favourite lives
on the other side of the world - the
liquorice gouramis. These tiny jewels
of South East Asia's peatswamp forests
are only beginning to be discovered
and understood by science. But their
habitat has already shrunk dramatically,
primarily due to forest clearance for oil
palm expansion, and all of them are now
threatened. Thankfully, a collection of
aquarists has banded together to launch
the Parosphromenus Project, which aims
to conserve the genus by maintaining a
strong ex-situ population of each species.
Similar aquarist initiatives are run by
the American Killifish Association and
the CARES Preservation Program. Sadly,
some freshwater fishes now can only be
found in captivity. The Mexican Fish Ark
in the Hause des Meeres in Vienna, for
example, houses the only living examples
of Mexico's Extinct in the Wild fishes.

THE UNITED STATES OF AQUARIA

The US National Pet Owners Survey puts freshwater fish far out in front:

142
MILLION

FRESHWATER
FISH

88.3
MILLION
CATS

The World's Forgotten Fishes page 32

74.8
MILLION
DOGS

16
13.4
MILLION
MILLION
BIRDS

REPTILES

In 2019, a new global initiative, Shoal,
was launched to address the freshwater
species crisis and halt the extinction of
freshwater fishes. As part of its efforts,
Shoal provides a platform for millions of
freshwater fish enthusiasts to direct their
passion towards helping to conserve the
wild freshwater origins of their pets.
The sooner they all join in, the better.
The World's Forgotten Fishes

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The World's Forgotten Fishes
