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Ornamental Fish Dr. Craig Kasper HCC Brandon. So far...it’s been all about the food!. Aquaculture has been (and may always be) about feeding people. . “But Dr. K.... What else is there??”. Ornamentals. “Feel good” fish!. First...lets revisit food fish aquaculture. (Tlusty 2005).
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Aquaculture has been (and may always be) about feeding people.
“But Dr. K.... What else is there??”
Ornamentals “Feel good” fish!
Introduction • Aquarium trade a rapidly growing sector of aquaculture. • Approximately $15 billion industry (Bartely 2000). • High demand drives industry ($$$). • Several pros and cons concerning this industry.
Making fish makes money! Source: 1998 Census of Aquaculture, USDA-NASS
Ornamental Fish • Influence of capture fisheries still applies. • As restrictions on animal collection intensify, culture of ornamental fish (OF) will assume a larger roll. • Currently, 90% of aquarium freshwater fish cultured. (Reverse for marine fish—major issue!)
Ornamental Fish • Production of OF is a global industry with global impacts (globalization = bad news?) • Has accounted for 40-60% of total exports in Singapore, Brazil, Phillipines (Tay, 1977; Chao 1997; Dowd and Tlusty 2000; Baquero). • However, this has all been at the EXPENSE of the capture industry!
Ornamental Fish • Production of OF doubled between 1985-1997. • In U.S., OF production is ranked fourth behind catfish, trout, and salmon; 7% of total aquacultural production (JSA, 1999). • Florida produces over 800 varieties of freshwater ornamental fish through captive breeding accounting for nearly 80% of total U.S. value (FASS 1999). • U.S. demand accounts for ~60% of total industry!
Ornamental Fish • Lucrative industry (average value $35-60/lb.; marine even higher at $400-600/lb.) • Captive breeding of marine fish accounts for much less (~13% of marine fish traded are cultured, 3% commercially feasible (Dawes 1998; Schiemer 2001).
Ornamental Fish • Greed has led to habitat destruction. • - Mangrove destruction, reefs, illegal collection • - Conservation groups, government influence. • - Clearly another black-eye for aquaculture! • How do we combat this? • - Limitations on collection. • - Limit number of fish (Bahamian 50 fish/permited species). • - Limit number/size of speices (FL restrictions on 49 spp.) • - More reliance on aquaculture (HBOI 2000) • - Artificial propigation (“just borrow some”)
Culture of Ornamental Fish • Variety of culture methods • - Closed systems (tanks, ponds) • - Florida- 0.1 acre sandy loam or coral bedrock ( • Semi-intesive densities • - tiger barb fry (pond) = 10k/m3 • - clown fish (tanks) = 700-3800/m3
Dr. Craig S. Kasper HCC Brandon ckasper@hccfl.edu