Domestic vs. Wild?

[leafish]

I just grabbed another Nijsseni from my LFS today. They're all looking pretty rough at the store. From the first two I got, one fattened up quickly and is doing very well, but the other died. I'm hoping that this one fattens up. The guy said that they were wild caught and arrived looking pretty bad. He also said that because of their rough shape they are especially difficult to sex. The original and healthy one doesn't have much black coloration on the body (the black patch that seems to be more of a female feature) so I picked one that definitely had a black spot. Unfortunately it's one of the weakest looking ones, ugh. All of this brought some questions to mind.

How ethical is the fishing for apistos? Is it being done with consideration to the habitat? I know some fish have become endangered because of over fishing for hobbyists and I wouldn't want to contribute to that. I'm not saying this is happening but does anyone on here know more about this topic?

Also, what's preferable? The consensus seems to be that tank bred fish are more hardy and colorful because their environment has always been a fish tank. On the other hand, tank bred fish are more likely to be some weird cross breed that should have never happened if the breeder messes up or doesn't care. Also, it seems that because of the rarity of some of the fish and a demand for breeding that inbreeding might be an issue.

Basically, I'm becoming more and more fascinated by these fish every day and would like to get more into it but these are some questions and concerns I have.

 

[gerald]

I prefer tank-bred fish from reliable breeders who are careful about not mixing species and who keep a reasonable-sized colony (preferably a dozen or more breeders) and/or trade with other breeders to keep their species gene-pools diverse. If "varieties" or geographic races of a species get mixed, but the offspring are healthy, fertile, and look like more-or-less normal fish, I don't worry about that, since my fishes' descendants are only going to fellow aquarists, not back into wild populations.

The "ethics" of collecting varies among species (rarity, extent of distribution, habitat threats) and among countries, collectors and exporters. There's no "yes or no" answer to that one. Given all the other pressures to clear forests and capitalize on their natural resources, there's a convincing argument that the value of wild fish trade is important to saving tropical habitats. Project Piaba is one organization that promotes sustainable collecting of ornamental fish in the Amazon: http://opefe.com/table_of_contents.html

 

[Mike Wise]

Sadly, Gerald is right. Habitat destruction, not over-fishing is a far greater danger to loss of fish species. Personally, I prefer wildcaught specimens, but I understand the problems associated with them. For beginners, tank raised species may be a better way to start with apistos. Domestic bred A. nijsseni are not really common. Like many of the more 'hard-to-breed' species, wildcaught specimens are often more commonly available and less expensive than tank bred fish. Whether wildcaught or tank bred, Gerald points out something important, getting "fish from reliable breeders who are careful about not mixing species".