Path: utzoo!hoptoad!ihnp4!ihlpg!dalka
From: dalka@ihlpg.ATT.COM (Ken Dalka)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Re: breeding marine fish
Message-ID: <5305@ihlpg.ATT.COM>
Date: 2 May 88 12:58:52 GMT
References: <3021@leo.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 26

> 	The #1 class are the easiest. The fish do most of the work for you. They
> nurture and protect until birth. After birth, you have to seperate the "fry"
> or else the parents may accidently devour them. (Along with everybody else!)
> Clownfish are probably the easiest. I'm still waiting for my clowns to mature,
> so I can't report first hand. But I'm ready as an expectant father. Clowns
> are so easy, you usually can find tank breed in stores for 4 bucks. I don't
> think anybody bothers to capture clowns anymore, except for the more rare
> types.

Ive been told by a local pet shop that ALL marine fish are still caught
in the wild. Some time ago there was a company that breed clowns ( I think
its aquarium systems, the people who make instant ocean) but were 
unsuccessful at making money at it. It is easy as you say to breed clowns
and some other fish but very expensive to rear the young. The right foods
are difficult to come by in a large commercial environment.
(The same pet shop owner has a pair of goby mandarins that spawn monthy
in the store, but the eggs never hatch or something) So, strangely enough,
it costs more to rear the young than go out and catch the little buggers.
I suppose it cant be that hard to catch clowns, after all they just run
to an anemone where a diver can get both an anemone and the clown(s)
for the price of one!
-- 

					Ken Dalka (Bell Labs)
					ihnp4!ihlpg!dalka
					IE 2F-518  (312) 416-7437