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’

Related Posts

There’s Some Interesting Stuff Out There There certainly is and as far as marine aquarists are concerned it ranges from photographs and videos about the wild reefs, information and discussion on...
VIA What’s this? It sounds like a technical abbreviation such as PAR, PUR, DOM, DSB and the rest. They are all relevant to a marine aquarium...
Interesting Maybe, But It Doesn’t Matter Interesting? O3 + NO2 .........> O2 + NO3 (Ozone + Nitrite .........> Oxygen + Nitrate) Could be, but in the majority of cases the answer...
Pointers To Success The visit to the LFS when the decision is more or less made to ‘have a go’ at a marine aquarium is an exciting time....
Air Pumps And The Marine Aquarium Air pumps are those buzzing boxes that can be felt to vibrate slightly when touched. Another type of air pump uses a piston attached to...

Related Websites

Fishing Report: October 02, 2009 Here's what's happening in local fishing this week. Lake Fishing - Fishing is relatively slow at Amador. The trout plants have not yet begun yet,...
Weight Loss By Hypnosis Weight Loss and Medical News November 8th, 2008weight loss dietMelanin Production Discovered In Fat Tissue May Protect Some Individuals Against Chronic Diseases Associated With ObesityA...
Do Diets Make You Fatter ? In one of the largest studies on weight loss it has been shown that diets for a lot of people just don't work after a...
Can We Save the Bluefin Tuna? Two thousand years ago, the Roman legions that conquered southern Europe relied heavily upon dried bluefin tuna. Unfortunately, this species of tuna, despite having survived...