There are only two species in the global ornamental fish trade that have been traded in large numbers for decades collected from the wild: the Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) and the Clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus). Due to the great economic importance of these animals, the populations are monitored very closely and there are strict laws that effectively prevent ornamental fishing from having a negative impact on wild populations. The two species have something in common: they are only available seasonally. They can only be caught effectively at certain times of the year at a reasonable effort. For the rest of the year, you have to rely on specimens that were caught during the season and have been kept in special facilities ever since.
In the case of Cardinals, you can always fall back on high-quality offspring if the stock caught during the season is not sufficient or – for whatever reason – preference is given to offspring. This is also possible with the Clown loach, but only a few people know this. We are currently offering captive-bred Clown loaches from Indonesia. Wild-caught fish are not available at the moment. Our customers are very satisfied with the quality of these offspring. Why not give them a try!
Incidentally, we believe that wild fishing is the more sustainable method. It enables local people to earn an absolutely environmentally friendly, good income from nature. No species has ever become extinct because of this, but dozens of species die out when the local population is forced to use another source of income instead of ornamental fishing, thereby inevitably altering nature or polluting the water.
For our customers: the captive bred Clown loaches have code 403532 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
