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Demand For Clownfish May Be Putting Them In Peril

June 26, 2008

I read an article today which is basically saying that the numbers of clownfish have fallen by the region of 75% in some areas of the world.

The marine biologist who performed this study is putting this down to the Finding Nemo film.

I am not sure how true this is as it was just an article I was reading and was not the actual report from the marine biologist in question.

What they have said is that even though the Finding Nemo film is now around five years old children and adults alike are so taken with ‘Nemo’ that they want their very own Nemo lookalike.

I remember thinking at the time of the film that this could be good for the hobby but also thinking that it could be quite bad for the hobby. I was very dissapointed to see a lot of Finding Nemo aquariums coming up for sale with clownfish, regal tangs etc all being made available for sale in aquariums which were just too small for them. A lot of shops I admit refused to sell these items but there was a lot that did.

Don’t get me wrong I do think that the film did a lot of good for the marine hobby as it raised awareness of it but people started purchasing fish just because of the film without doing any research first as to what their requirements were. As we all know and John and I go on about it all the time research is imperative in this hobby - there is life at stake and we as responsible aquarists need to ensure that we do everything in our power to ensure that they are well cared for.

Anyway the study was apparently a five study of clownfish in Australia and on one coral reef his research found numbers had fallen from 25 to just 6.

If true it is quite worrying. I admit that you are able to purchase captive raised clownfish and I urge anyone who is interested in purchasing a fish to consider captive raised. not just for clownfish but for any fish.

It is the belief of the marine aquarists that clownfish should now be put on the endangered list.

One statement the marine biologist made was one I actually quite liked :

‘My message to kids who love the film is simple - tell your parents to leave Nemo in the sea where he belongs’

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Clownfish For Anemones

March 3, 2008

I recently did a short text on anemones. One of the reasons anemones are wanted by the aquarist is their relationship with an anemone. This relationship is remarkable and it is understandable why an aquarist would wish to duplicate this in an aquarium.

For the relationship to work it is obvious that aquarium conditions must be correct. Clownfish are generally hardy (in marine terms) and, if there are problems, it is usually the anemone that fails to thrive. It is important that the anemone is happy by providing the correct lighting, water movement and space (anemones can grow as I found out in the early days!).

Clownfish are lovely fish in their own right. They will live in an aquarium without an anemone, but if the aquarium is a reef with corals, they may well decide to make their home in, say, a mushroom coral (Sarcophyton sp) or similar. I’ve seen this occur in Peter’s aquarium and the coral didn’t seem to be affected by the clownfish’s presence at all. Then again, some clownfish do not make their home in a provided anemone, even if it is one of the preferred species. Why this is I’m not sure, but maybe it is because the clownfish were home bred and just don’t know what to do? Maybe!

It is best to house just one species of clownfish with an anemone, although it is known for different clownfish to co-exist. If they are mixed, aggression may occur and this is certainly not wanted. What is wanted is peace and harmony as far as possible. To be cautious, present the anemone with just two clownfish of the same species. Even the same species may show aggression if there are just too many, and of course the anemone will be none too keen either.

My favourite clownfish is the so called common clown (a bit of injustice there, fancy calling the little beauties common), the proper name is Amphiprion ocellaris. I kept one of these with an anemone for a couple of years. Unfortunately the anemone grew too large, so I took it to the retailers along with the clownfish. I asked the retailer to sell the anemone and the clownfish together, he later told me he had done that. I hope the two had a long life in a suitably sized aquarium.

So, after choosing the clownfish check which anemone is preferred, then make sure the aquarium is spacious enough.

With proper pre-purchase checks, proper water quality, lighting and feeding, the aquarist should be rewarded with one of nature’s amazing sights - clownfish in the security of a host anemone.

Below is a link to help choose the correct anemone and clownfish.

http://www.bestfish.com/tips/032698.html

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Keeping An Anemone

March 1, 2008

There is understandably great fascination with some anemones, mainly because of their well known association with clownfish. Seeing these colourful little fish nestling in among what are normally dangerous tentacles is amazing.

Before an aquarist obtains an anemone, the usual research into type and requirements is necessary. Many anemones require good [tag-self]aquarium lighting[/tag-self] because of symbiotic algae, and water movement must be to their liking. In fact, and much to the aquarist’s annoyance, if an anemone is not happy with its position in the aquarium it may well go for a walkabout.

As with all marine livestock, the aquarist must be careful when buying. The anemone shouldn’t show any signs of damage anywhere. If there is damage to the crown or stalk then a purchase should not be made. There can also be damage to the base foot, which attaches the anemone to the rock. Sometimes this area is damaged during collection. It is more difficult to spot problems in this area, the aquarist can but do their best. Retailers are usually willing to spin a specimen round underwater to facilitate inspection.

When positioning an anemone in the aquarium try and put the foot in a hollow in the rock work if possible, with the crown fairly close to the water surface (but not too close because of expansion etc). Water flow should not be fierce, only moderate, and should be random rather than linear. Hopefully this will mean that the anemone will settle in the aquarist’s chosen position, but is not a guarantee.

Feeding is not a problem. A piece of de-frozen lancefish once or twice a week will usually suffice. Dropping the fish onto the tentacles is easy, the fish will be taken and moved towards the mouth.

Keeping an anemone is not for everyone and is not suitable for any marine aquarium. As with other livestock, some are more difficult to keep than others. As said, pre-purchase research is necessary and a clear understanding of the needs of the anemone obtained. If the attention is to keep clownfish with the anemone, then it should be noted that different clownfish have different preferences for anemone types. It could be that a clownfish doesn’t take to an anemone at all, even though carefully chosen.

Could it be that the clownfish is aquarium bred and doesn’t ‘know‘?

To assist in obtaining information on some of the more popular anemone types I have provided a link, below.

http://fins.actwin.com/species/anemone.html

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