The aquarium hobby

15 Pages·2016·0.8 MB·English

FISH andFISHERIES,2016,17,860–874
Ghoti
Ghoti papers
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Etymologyof Ghoti
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), polymath, playwright, Nobel prize winner, and
the mostprolific letter writer in history,was an advocate of English spelling reform.
He was reportedly fond of pointing out its absurdities by proving that ‘fish’ could
bespelt ‘ghoti’. That is:‘gh’asin‘rough’, ‘o’ as in‘women’ and‘ti’as inpalatial.
The aquarium hobby: can sinners become saints in
fi
freshwater sh conservation?
Alberto Maceda-Veiga1,2,Omar Dom(cid:1)ınguez-Dom(cid:1)ınguez3,JosepEscribano-Alacid4& John Lyons5
1DepartmentofAnimalBiology(Vertebrates),BiodiversityResearchInstitute(IRBio),FacultyofBiology,Universityof
Barcelona,E-08028,Barcelona,Spain;2CardiffSchoolofBiosciences,Cardiff,CF103AX,Wales,UK;3Laboratoriode
Biolog(cid:1)ıaAcua(cid:1)tica,UniversidadMichoacanadeSanNicola(cid:1)sdeHidalgo,Morelia,Michoaca(cid:1)n,M(cid:1)exico;4Associacio(cid:1)Grup
deRecercad’EcosistemesAqua(cid:3)tics(AGREA),E-08028,Barcelona,Spain;5WisconsinDepartmentofNaturalResources,
UniversityofWisconsinZoologicalMuseum,Madison,WI,USA
Abstract Correspondence:
The aquarium hobby is popular worldwide, but it has positives and negatives for AlbertoMaceda-Veiga,
CardiffSchoolofBio-
freshwaterfishconservation.Themostdamagingimpactsoftheaquariumtrade on
sciences,Museum
ecosystems are overharvesting and invasive species. Consequently, many conserva-
Avenue,Cardiff,CF10
tionists and academics have the perception that aquarium hobbyists are generally 3AX,Wales,UK
harmfultospecies conservation.Withoutoverlooking thesemajordrawbacks ofthe Tel.:+44(0)29
aquarium hobby, we aim to establish common ground between hobbyists and con- 20875384
Fax:+44(0)29
servationists bycorrectingsome misconceptionsandshowingthebenefits ofserious
20874116
aquarium hobbyists in the conservation of freshwater fishes and their habitats. Our
E-mail:albertomaceda
overview illustrates that the aquarium hobby is not insensitive to the pernicious @gmail.com
effects of this enduring hobby on natural systems and that serious aquarists and
their associations can directly assist and fund scientific research, increase conserva-
Received25Feb
tion awareness among the general public and even participate in ex situ and in situ 2014
conservation programmes for native fish species at national or international levels. Accepted13Aug
Whilsttherelationshipbetweenconservationistsandtheaquariumhobbyhasoften 2014
been antagonistic in recent years, ultimately most biologists and aquarists share a
860 DOI:10.1111/faf.12097 ©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
love of the species they study or maintain, and this common interest could be the
basisforamorepositiveandproductiverelationship.
Keywords Aquarists, aquarium hobbyist associations, aquarium trade,
conservation, education programmes, freshwater fish
between aquarists and professional scientists. The
Introduction
current body of scientific literature, however,
Theconservation ofnatural resources is acomplex seems to indicate that these two groups sail in
social, ecological and economic process. Effective opposite directions, with a general perception
management actions are often hindered because among conservationists that aquarists are damag-
many of the species involved are unknown, under- ing species conservation. This perception of the
standingamongstakeholdersislacking,andunilat- aquarium hobby is probably a consequence of the
eral decisions are often applied (Lodge et al. 2006; diverse philosophies of the wide variety of aquar-
Carrete and Tella 2008). The freshwater aquarium ists who fall under the umbrella of the aquarium
hobbytypifiesthiscomplexity.Worldwide,thepop- hobby, including ‘pet owners’ whose main interest
ularityoffishkeepinghasgrownby14%annually is keeping fish as ‘ornaments’ (Fig. 1). Without
since the 1970s, and currently over 1 billion fish overlooking the dark side of the aquarium hobby,
comprisingmorethan5300freshwaterfishspecies this study aims to find common ground between
are traded internationally each year (Helfman hobbyists and conservationists by showing the
2007; Hulme 2009; Collins et al. 2012). Whilst a benefits of serious aquarium hobbyists in the con-
hobbyofthismagnitudeclearlyhasgreateconomic servation of freshwater fishes and their habitats,
andsocialvalue,theaquariumtradealsohasmajor and correcting some misconceptions about the
ecologicaldrawbacks.Collectionofwildfishforthe attitude of aquarists towards the major drawbacks
tradehasledtooverharvestingandhabitatdestruc- of the aquarium trade. Specifically, we discuss
tion (Andrews 1992; Chao et al. 2001; Gerstner how aquarium hobbyists and their associations
et al.2006;Tlustyet al.2008).Escapesanddeliber- can directly assist with scientific research, increase
ate releases of aquarium fish into habitats outside conservation awareness among the general public,
their nativerangehavecontributed tothe problem collaborate with legal authorities and conserva-
of invasive species (e.g. Keller and Lodge 2007; tionists to diminish the risk posed by introductions
Gertzenet al.2008;Nget al.2010),oneofthemost and even participate in ex situ and in situ conser-
directthreatstobiodiversityandecosystemfunction vation programmes for native fish species at
(Clavero and Garc(cid:1)ıa-Berthou 2005; Simo~es-vitule national orinternational levels.
et al. 2009; Pool and Olden 2012; Capps and Flec-
ker 2013). In an effort to reduce such pernicious
Overharvesting andinvasivespecies: Is the
effects, conservationists advocate applying the pre-
aquarium hobbyresponsive?
cautionary principle through the prohibition of
trade for highly invasive aquarium species and the The aquarium hobby is proactive in minimizing
developmentofeducationalprogrammesforaquar- these two major drawbacks. Whilst historically
ists and other stakeholders to reduce the release of many popular aquarium species were captured
invasivespecies(PadillaandWilliams2004;Chang from wild populations, at present 90% of freshwa-
et al.2009;Streckeret al.2011).Fortheconserva- ter aquarium species are raised domestically
tion of wild stocks, outright bans areusually unre- (Whittington and Chong 2007). The domestic pro-
alistic given the economic interests of developing duction of fish with new or more extreme shapes
countries, and regulatory schemes have been and colours clearly responds to a demand of
advanced in these regions to promote sustainable aquarium keepers, as illustrated by a brief survey
harvesting (Tlusty et al. 2008; Silvano et al. 2009; we conducted for this study of a random sample of
Coomeset al.2010;Lopeset al.2011). aquarists as they left general pet stores in Barce-
The success of these efforts will ultimately lona and Lugo in Spain and in Cardiff UK. This
depend on many factors including the cooperation survey consisted of offering aquarists the choice
©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874 861
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
(a) (b)
(c)
Figure1 Illustrationsofdifferentunderstandingsandphilosophiesabouttheaquariumhobby.Photographs:(a)this
‘invasivepack’consistsoftwoworldwiderecognizedinvaders,theeasternmosquitofish(Gambusiaholbrooki,Poeciliidae)
andthewaterhyacinth(Eichorniacrassipes,Pontederiaceae),offeredasanornamentatgardensinBarcelona(Spain);
(b)streetvendorsinOporto(Portugal)offeringinvasivespeciessuchaspumpkinseed(Lepomisgibbosus,Centrarchidae)
andotheraquariumfishspeciesinpoorcondition;and(c)aquariafromahobbyistwherefishareacomponentofthe
ecosystemsthathehascreatedinhishome.
between picturesofwild-caughtandcaptive-reared known, an inventory of 1133 fish species listed by
specimens of a common fish species in the aquar- retailers and wholesalers in south-western Europe
ium trade, the guppy (Poecilia reticulata, Poecilii- (see Maceda-Veiga et al. 2013) showed that all of
dae), and analysing how preferences were the 13 species that were formally classified as
influenced by the origin of the fish. Of 100 ran- endangered or threatened with extinction in the
dom aquarium owners interviewed at the entry of wild were captive bred rather than wild caught.
an aquarium retailer, 100% preferred the more The status of species was based on the criteria set
colourful captive-reared guppy strain to the drab- by the International Union for the Conservation of
ber Tobago wild type. Together with this bulk of Nature (IUCN, see Fig. 2). Moreover, documented
domestic strains, wild-type fishes reared in fish threats to survival in the wild for these species did
farms or wild caught are also present in the trade not include excessive harvest for the aquarium
(Raghavan et al. 2013). Interestingly, for some trade but rather encompassed other commonly
rare species, captive-breeding programmes to sup- recognized threats such as habitat degradation,
ply aquarium demand have produced a surplus of introduction of exotic species and overfishing for
specimens for reintroduction programmes in the human consumption (Darwall et al. 2008). For
wild (Tlusty 2002; Tlusty et al. 2013), but inevita- example, the main threats to wild populations of
bly conservation warnings also arise for wild- some of the species were water pollution, physical
captured fishes(Raghavan et al. 2013). habitat modifications and introduction of exotic
Whilst admittedly the abundance and conserva- species for the barred danio (Devario pathirana,
tion status of many wild populations are poorly Cyprinidae) (Devi and Boguskaya 2009), Azraq
862 ©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
(f)
(e)
(d)
(c)
(b)
(a)
Figure2 ConservationstatusbasedonIUCNcriteria(EW,extinctinthewild;CE,criticallyendangered;EN,
endangered;VU,vulnerable;NT,nearthreatened;LC,leastconcern;DD,datadeficientandNE,notevaluated)of1133
aquariumfreshwaterfishspeciescompiledacrossseveralnationalandinternationalwholesalersandaquarium
hobbyistsinventoriesforsouth-easternEurope(seedetailsinMaceda-Veigaetal.2013).Photographs:(a)sturgeon
species(Acipenserspp.,IUCN:EN),(b)thebarreddanio(Devariopathirana,CE),(c)theredtailsharkminnow
(Epalzeorhynchusbicolor,EW),(d)theocellatedshell-dweller(Lamprologuskungweensis,CE),(e)thebutterflysplitfin
(Amecasplendens,CE)and(f)thepinstripdamba(Paretroplusmenarambo,EW).
killifish (Aphanius sirhani, Cyprinodontidae) (Crivel- designed to reduce overharvesting or the introduc-
li et al. 2006), Potosi pupfish (Cyprinodon alvarezi, tion of invasive species. For example, legislation
Cyprinodontidae) (Contreras-Balderas and Almada- reduced effectively aquarium fish exports from
Villela 1996) and redtail sharkminnow Kerala, India (Jayalal and Ramachandran 2012),
(Epalzeorhynchus bicolour, Cyprinidae) (Vidthay- whereas the sale and distribution of regulated spe-
anon 2011), siltation for the ocellated shell- cies, such as the apple snails (Pomacea spp.m
dweller (Lamprologus kungweensis, Cichlidae) Ampullariidae), was curbed after they were
(Bigirimana 2006), overfishing for human con- banned in Spain (Orden ARM/2090/2011 and
sumption for the pinstrip damba (Paretroplus men- Real Decreto 630/2013 Acts). In addition to the
arambo, Cichlidae) (Loiselle 2008), and overfishing effectiveness of regulatory schemes, aquariumhob-
for human consumption and the construction of byist associations also contribute to reduce the
dams that blocked migrations for sturgeons (Aci- release of invasive species from domestic aquaria
penser spp., Acipenseridae) (e.g. Gesner et al. by developing educational campaigns in their
2010). However, the wild status of 67% of the magazines and websites to educate misguided
species in the aquarium trade in south-western aquarium keepers (e.g. the Cichlid Room Compan-
Europe has not yet been evaluated or is data ion) but also accepting fish returns as exemplified
deficient (Fig. 2). These results illustrate that spe- on YouTube by the Seville Aquarium Association
cies with sufficient information to be classified as in Spain (https://www.youtube.com/watch?
threatened or endangered are probably not being v=M3NQFGfkc08). The educational task of
harvested from the wild in significant numbers for devoted aquarium hobbyists, however, goes fur-
the aquarium trade, but also that there is limited ther than just concern about invasives and also
information on the wild status of most aquarium aims to promote ethics in fish keeping. Among the
species such that the possibility of excessive wild most popular species in the aquarium trade
harvest of some rare species for the aquarium (Table 1), there is an array of species (e.g. catfish
trade cannotbe dismissed. of the genera Hypostomus and Pterygoplichthys),
Despite difficulties, the aquarium hobby has which by virtue of their behaviour and/or poten-
proven to be respectful of regulatory schemes tial large size are unsuitable for most domestic
©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874 863
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
aquaria and thus likely to become ‘unwanted fish’ attention of only a few specialist hobbyists. These
and released (Fig. 3). Nonetheless, the responsibil- species(mainlylivebearer,cichlidsandkillifishspe-
ity for the release of representatives of popular cies) are exclusively available at aquarist meetings
aquarium fish families also encompasses other or via online exchanges upon request among seri-
entities, such as administration (Pyke 2005), aca- ous hobbyists. For example, in south-western Eur-
demic research centres (Gisbert and Lo(cid:1)pez 2007), ope, a survey revealed that about 300 of 1133
anglers (Maceda-Veiga 2013), and florists and the aquarium species (27%) were only found in the
general public (Fig. 1). aquaria of members belonging to hobbyist organi-
zations (Maceda-Veiga et al. 2013). Some hobbyist
associations maintain open access to lists of names
Aquarium hobbyists: agatewaytofish
and origins of the species kept by their
knowledgeand itsconservation
members (e.g. http://www.sekweb.org/censo/
Many rare fishes are little known by scientists and index.php). Most interestingly, many of these
largelyneglectedbygovernmentsandconservation aquarist consortiums lead to extensive database
organizations, and their plight has received the depositories in which valuable information on
Table1 Thetop30mostpopularfishspeciesinthefreshwateraquariumindustrybyregionreportedinstudiesonthe
aquariumhobbyasapathwayforinvasivespecies:Streckeretal.(2011)inPacificNorthwest(USA),Rixonetal.
(2005)andGertzenetal.(2008)inLaurentianGreatLakes,andMaceda-Veigaetal.(2013)inIberia.
Gertzenetal.
Streckeretal.2011 Rixonetal.2005 2008 Maceda-Veigaetal.2013
Scientificname PacificNorthwest(USA) LaurentianGreatLakes Iberia Mean
Carassiusauratus 4 1 1 1 2
Bettasplendens 3 2 7 2 4
Paracheirodoninnesi 8 4 4 6 6
Poeciliareticulata 10 3 2 7 6
Xiphophorusmaculatus 13 8 3 11 9
Xiphophorushelleri 13 7 6 10 9
Poeciliasphenops 11 17 5 8 10
Balantiocheilosmelanopterus 12 9 30 12 16
Tanichthysalbonubes 14 6 16 30 17
Hypostomusplecostomus 30 10 9 17 17
Corydoraspaleatus 5 30 30 3 17
Trigonostigmaheteromorpha 15 30 15 9 17
Cyprinuscarpio 30 5 30 4 17
Daniorerio 5 30 30 5 18
Puntiustetrazona 1 13 30 30 18
Metynnishypsauchen 1 16 30 30 19
Gyrinocheilusaymonieri 1 30 18 30 20
Trichogastertrichopterus 2 18 30 30 20
Poecilialatipinna 9 11 30 30 20
Colisalalia 14 20 17 30 20
Gymnocorymbusternetzi 6 15 30 30 20
Capoetatetrazona 30 13 8 30 20
Pterophyllumscalare 30 30 13 13 22
Pterygoplichthyssp. 30 12 30 19 23
Moenkhausiasanctaefilomenae 1 30 30 30 23
Hemigrammuserythrozonus 7 30 25 30 23
Chromobotiamacracantha 30 14 21 30 24
Astronotusocellatus 17 19 30 30 24
Labidochromiscaeruleus 6 30 30 30 24
Puntiusconchonius 16 21 30 30 24
Hyphessobryconcallistus 30 22 30 15 24
864 ©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
(f)
(c)
(e)
(b)
(a) (d)
Figure3 Relativeproportionsofdifferentlengthclassesoffishesrecorded(N=833species)fromnationalretailersin
Iberia,andnationalandinternationalwholesalersthatofferaquariumfishesinEuropeafterMaceda-Veigaetal.
(2013).Theproportionofspeciesbelongingtothe30thmostpopularspeciesisindicatedateachlengthclass,and
photographsofthosethatexceed21cmmaximumtotallengtharealsoportrayed.Photographs:(a)clownloach
(Chromobotiamacracanthus,Cobitidae),(b)oscar(Astronotusocellatus,Cichlidae),(c)balashark(Balantiocheilus
melanopterus,Cyprinidae),(d)goldfish(Carassiusauratus,Cyprinidae),(e)carp(Cyprinuscarpio,Cyprinidae)and(f)
‘pleco’species:HypostomusplecostomusandPterygoplichthysgibbiceps,Loricariidae.
the biology, ecology, distributional range and The content of the articles published by many
behaviour of a myriad of fish species can be found, hobbyists and the by-laws of their associations
such as the Cat-eLog with datasheets of more than demonstrate that they are concerned for the wel-
3000 catfish species including 14 000 images and fare of the species they keep and for the effective
videos (http://www.planetcatfish.com/). In addi- transfer of knowledge. Together with aquarium
tion, the hobbyists often contribute to the develop- hobbyist reports, knowledge exchange is achieved
ment of basic knowledge about the biology and by organizing regular meetings, such as the Inter-
ecology of the species through the technical notes national Killifish Show in the Netherlands (www.
and reports they publish on the maintenance and killifishnederland.nl), aswellasbyhobbyistsmain-
breeding experiences of these species in hobbyist taining their own personal websites and blogs
journals such as Rio Negro (www.rionegromaga- where they publicize their accomplishments, such
zine.com) (formerly named ‘Acuario Pra(cid:1)ctico’), as the first breeding event of chocolate gourami
Practical Fishkeeping (www.practicalfishkeeping. (Sphaerihchtys osphromenoides, Osphronemidae) in
co.uk/), Conscientious Aquarist Magazine (www. captivity (www.aquarticles.com/articles/breeding/
wetwebmedia.com), various aquarium websites Xema_Chocolate_Gourami.html). Sometimes the
(e.g. www.aquabotanic.com/) or the large number results from devoted aquarium hobbyists working
of aquarium association bulletins published on a on vulnerable species also reach international sci-
regular basis (Appendix 1). Unfortunately, the sci- entific events, such as the participation of the
entific rigour of this information is often uncertain aquarist association ‘Sociedad de Estudios Ictiolo(cid:1)gi-
(see Kullander 2012), but some of these aquarist cos (SEI)’ in the International Union for the
magazines may record relevant information for Conservation of Nature held in Barcelona in 2008
some researchers. For instance, first reports of the (http://seiconservation.blogspot.co.uk/).Likewise,sev-
introduction/location of species in Argentina and eral livebearer fish hobbyist associations participate
adjacent areas are often published in the bulletin in the International Symposia on Viviparous
Ichthyological Contributions of ‘Peces Criollos’ Fishes held biannually in Mexico (http://www.
of the Argentinean Killifish Club (http://www. ictiologiamorelia2014.org/simposium.html). Other
killiclub.org/). examples of knowledge transfer among hobbyists
©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874 865
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
are the various training courses that occur regu- captive-breeding programme for three endangered
larly at aquarium hobbyist associations (Appen- Aphanius species (A. apodus, A. danfordii and
dix 1). These courses are typically taught by A. sirhani) and the wild-extinct Potosi pupfish
experienced aquarium hobbyists or invited scien- (C. alvarezi) (http://www.sekweb.org/). Besides
tists. Many courses are designed to increase the captive-breeding programmes, such devoted aquar-
success of maintaining and breeding new wild spe- ists also participate in the assessment of some pop-
cies being brought into the domestication and ulations of A. iberus and Valencia toothcarp
often focus on the characteristics of the natural (Valencia hispanica, Valenciidae) in coastal lagoons
habitatof thesespecies. Someaquatic retailers also in north-eastern Spain. Likewise, the distributional
provide free training courses on topics such as fish range of the Mediterranean killifish (Aphanius fasci-
welfare or treatment of diseases in collaboration atus, Cyprinodontidae) in Italy is being assessed by
with academics such as AQA Espai and the Uni- members of the Italian Killifish Association (AIK)
versity of Barcelona (www.aqaespai.com) in Spain. through the ‘Progetto Aphanius’ (http://www.aik.
Aquarium hobbyist associations, such as the it/). Interestingly, thanks to these aquarium hob-
Barcelona Aquarium Association (BAA, www. byist expeditions, species considered extinct by sci-
aquariofilabcn.org/), also collaborate with certain entists, such as the black spot allotoca (Allotoca
specialized aquarium retailers to conduct courses maculate, Goodeidae) and ameca shiner (Notropis
and outreach activities. Whilst the primary reason amecae, Cyprinidae), were rediscovered, and the
that most retailers hold such courses is to attract declining conservation status of other fish species
more customers, the courses nevertheless encour- in arid areas of Mexico, such as the bold charac-
age good aquarium practices and link hobbyists odon (Characodon audax, Goodeidae) and red prince
with knowledgeable and responsible sources of fish (C. lateralis, Goodeidae), was brought to the atten-
andinformation. tionofscientistsandconservationists(seeKempkes
On the more applied conservation side of the et al. 2013 and http://www.goodeidworking
hobby, the populations of fishes maintained in group.com). Most of these in situ and ex situ con-
captivity through networks of devoted aquarists servation efforts led by aquarists are funded by
provide a germplasm reservoir to prevent the total their associations or themselves,and some even do
extinctionof thespecies andtodevelopreintroduc- crowd funding through personal websites or fish
tion programmes (Dibble 2010; Dom(cid:1)ınguez- auctions to fund scientific research, such as ‘The
Dom(cid:1)ınguez 2010; Grist 2010). Although their PlanetXingu project’ in Brazil (http://www.planet-
merits are part of an ongoing debate (e.g. Gippoliti catfish.com/general/general.php?article_id=492).
2012; Bowkett 2014), ex situ conservation pro-
grammes often arise as the unique opportunity to
Turningthe tideinthe relationship between
save species with a reduced distributional range
aquarium hobbyistsandresearch institutions
and exposed to high anthropogenic pressure
(Conde et al. 2011; Dom(cid:1)ınguez-Dom(cid:1)ınguez et al. In addition to leading their own projects, aquarists
2005; Dom(cid:1)ınguez-Dom(cid:1)ınguez 2010). A good and aquarium organizations can generate scien-
example of the achievements of devoted aquarium tific knowledge and/or conserve rarefish species in
hobbyists in this area is an in situ and ex situ con- collaboration with professional scientists. Aquarists
servation project in Mexico for two species of have helped researchers locate many fish species
goodeids extinct (or nearly so) in nature, the cres- in nature. For instance, aquarists from India con-
cent zoe (Zoogoneticus tequila, Goodeidae) and the tacted taxonomists of the Natural History Museum
golden skiffia (Skiffia francesae, Goodeidae), whose of London, UK, and accompanied them on several
populations had been kept by private aquarium field trips during which new species were discov-
hobbyists around the world for 25 years (Dibble ered, such as the catfish Pseudolaguvia lapillicola,
2010; Grist 2010). In Spain, members of the SEI Erethistidae (Britz et al. 2013). In Myanmar, the
also carry out a successful captive-breeding pro- same scientific crew helped by aquarium fish
gramme of the endangered Spanish toothcarp importers found a new species of cyprinid, Danio-
(Aphanius iberus, Cyprinodontidae) with the release nella dracula, which revealed morphological novel-
of reared individuals in restored lagoons in the ties in fish miniaturization (Britz et al. 2009).
Llobregat delta (www.seiconservation.org). The Likewise, the rainbow killifish (Nothobranchius
Spanish Killifish Association (SEK) leads another rachovii, Nothobranchiidae) was described from
866 ©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
specimens imported for the aquarium trade to Ger- submitaproposalwiththeiraims,thenameofthe
many (Shidlovskiy et al. 2010), and the goodeid academic researcher they are planning to contract
Zoogoneticus purepechus was described based on withtodonate some specimensof theirfieldcollec-
specimens collected by members of the Poecilia tions along with the name of a well-known mem-
Netherlands organization (Dom(cid:1)ınguez-Dom(cid:1)ınguez ber of the aquarist association who can confirm
et al. 2008). Careful observation coupled with pre- theirdata.Then,aninternaladvisorycommitteeof
cise tracking of the origin of captive fish popula- academics and aquarists evaluates the proposals,
tions has also resulted in some serious aquarists and if awarded, aquarists have agreed to report
recognizing and publicizing morphological diver- their results in an aquarium magazine and to
gent populations that were later described as dis- deposittheirfindingsinadatabase.Similartothese
tinct species. For instance, the Belgium Killifish initiatives, the American Livebearer Association
Association (DKG) provided specimens to research- through their ‘Langhammer and Vern Parish
ers for the description of the Sahara aphanius Funds’ (livebearers.org/modules/content/), the
(Aphanius saourensis, Cyprinodontidae) (Blanco AmericanCichlidAssociationthroughtheir‘Stuart
et al. 2006). In addition, the DKG in collaboration M Grant and Paul V. Loiselle Conservation Funds’
with Jo€rg Freyhof (IUCN chair the European (http://www.cichlid.org/) and the U.S. aquarium
Region) funded in 2013 a small project to support industry’s C.A.R.E.S. (Conservation, Awareness,
Mahmoud Bacha and Chabane Benamirouche Recognition,Encouragement,andSupport),preser-
from Algeria to search for the species at its type vation programme (www.carespreservation.com)
locality and other water bodies in the Oued are maintaining captive-breeding stocks of species
Saoura (Garc(cid:1)ıa et al. 2010). Likewise, the Azraq at risk and supporting research about fish species
killifish (Aphanius sirhani, Cyprinodontidae) was ortheirhabitats(e.g.Seckingeret al.2002;Burress
rediscovered in the wild by the University of et al.2013;DaBarbianoet al.2013).
Vienna withthe help ofthe DKG.Further evidence A good example of an aquarist conservation
of the importance of these serious aquarists in project that is well integrated with academic con-
bringingnewspecies toscience is thattaxonomists servationeffortsistheFishArkProject(FAP)/Hob-
have named some species in their honour, such as byist Aqualab Conservation Project (HACP) at the
Enigmatogobius lucanusi Cichlidae (Lamboj 2009) Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de
and Neolamprologus walteri Cichlidae (Verburg and Hidalgo (UMSNH) in Mexico (Dibble 2010; Dom(cid:1)ın-
Bills 2007). Together with species discoveries, the guez-Dom(cid:1)ınguez 2010; Grist 2010) (Fig. 4). The
patterns of population differentiation inannual kil- goal of this project is to develop and maintain a
lifishes from La Plata Basin, Parana(cid:1)-Brazil, have viable bank of germplasm of the most endangered
also been revealed with the contribution of aquar- species of Mexican goodeids, and it was conceived
ists, in this case from the Argentinean Killifish after a visit of members from the North England
Club(seeGarc(cid:1)ıa et al. 2012). Zoological Society (NEZS) and the British Livebear-
Anadditionalbenefitofthecollaborativeeffortin ing Association (BLA) to the UMSNH in 1998.
fieldcollectionsbetweenaquaristsandacademicsis The first specimens for this project were provided
thedevelopmentoflargedatabasedepositorieswith by the Chester Zoo, UK, and consisted of two spe-
valuable ichthyological information for some cies thought to be extinct in nature, the crescent
regions, such as the Fresh Water Fishes of Mexico zoe (Z. tequila) and the golden skiffia (S. francesae),
(http://www.mexfish.info/default.php?lang=es), or that had long beenmaintained in aquaria (Dom(cid:1)ın-
fish groups, such as killifishes (http://www.killi- guez-Dom(cid:1)ınguez et al. 2005; Dom(cid:1)ınguez-Dom(cid:1)ın-
data.org/) and cichlids (http://www.cichlidae.com/ guez 2010). Currently, the FAP and associated
) with over 1100 and 1673 records, respectively. organizations such as the Goodeid Working Group
Thesewebsitespresentalltheavailableinformation successfully keep populations of the 12 most
on fish groups, with details on systematics, mor- endangered or extinct-in-the-wild goodeid species
phology, ecology, and genetics, thousands of pic- in Mexico, plus 24 threatened species. The FAP
tures and videos, and aquarium information for and HACP and other similar initiatives have also
their maintenance and breeding. As a result of the led to international fish-network projects in which
valuableinformationprovidedbyaquariumhobby- a consortium of zoos, public aquaria, aquarium
ists,thekillifishandcichlidorganizationsalsoraise hobbyists, research centres and universities are
funds for aquarists’ expeditions. Briefly, aquarists involved (Grum-Schwensen 2010). For instance,
©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874 867
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
Figure4 FishArkProject(FAP)andtheHobbyistAqualabConservationProject(HACP)attheUniversidad
MichoacanadeSanNicolasdeHidalgo(UMSNH)inMexico:anexampleofcooperativeworkbetweenaquarium
hobbyists,academicsandpublicaquaria.Photographs:(a)fieldsampling,(b)specimenofthecriticallyendangered
Zoogoneticustequila,(c)fishfacilityattheUMSNHwiththelateIvanDibbleand(d)artificiallagoonwhereendangered
fishspecieswereacclimatizedbeforereintroductionintothewild.
the HACP has provided specimens of rare fishes to Spanish Killifish Association also participated in
34 universities, public aquaria, zoos and other the Spanish toothcarp conservation project
hobbyists in 15 countries to ensure survival of a (LIFE04 NAT/ES000035) supervised by the Uni-
species if lost at the UMSNH (Dom(cid:1)ınguez-Dom(cid:1)ın- versity of Murcia, Spain (Oliva-Paterna et al.
guez 2010). Aquarium hobbyists also helped initi- 2006). Elsewhere in Spain, the SEI association
ate and organize the Goodeid Working Group, developed an applied project in collaboration with
which first met in Barcelona in 2009 (www.goo- the Mosquito Control Service to use the endan-
deidworkinggroup.com), within which aquarium gered A. iberus as a mosquito control agent during
hobbyists and scientists collaborate to promote periodic flooding events in the Llobregat Delta. As
captive rearing, research, habitat protection and A. iberus is sensitive to desiccation, a network of
restoration, and public education to help conserve permanent ponds was created to allow the fish to
goodeid fishes in Mexico. Another similar interna- naturally colonize the entire flood plain during
tional initiative is the Parosphronemus project, floods and then return to the permanent ponds as
which focuses on the conservation of the licorice the flooding receded (www.seiconservation.org).
gourami group (http://www.parosphromenus-pro- Likewise, a co-author (AMV) of this article has
ject.org/). been working with a specialized aquaria retailer
The expert advice of aquarium hobbyists has and the University of Barcelona in the develop-
also been fundamental to the development of ment of a captive-breeding programme for the
many in situ conservation projects, including the endangered river blenny (Salaria fluviatilis, Blennii-
Lake Victoria Species Survival Plan (LV-SSP) in dae) (LIFE 04NAT/000033). This partnership has
Uganda, an aquaculture initiative developed in resulted in the first successful captive breeding of
collaboration with the American Zoo and Aquar- the species and has facilitated exhaustive fieldwork
ium Association (Hemdal 2008). In North Amer- to evaluate the potential suitability of agricultural
ica, similar local conservation initiatives on native ponds connected to natural channels as artificial
fish species have been carried out by the North breeding grounds for the river blenny in Aragon,
American Native Fish Association (www.nanfa. Spain (Maceda-Veiga and Sostoa 2008). The
org), whose members include both aquarium authorhasalsoworkedwithhobbyistsinthediag-
hobbyists and ichthyologists. Aquarists of the nosis of fish diseases and the maintenance of
868 ©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874
Prosandconsoftheaquariumhobby AMaceda-Veigaetal.
native fish species in the fish facility at the Univer- professionals, experiences in the aquarium hobby
sity ofBarcelona. can build a strong and active conservation ethic.
The last but not the least important aspect in Admittedly, the aesthetic component of an aquar-
the mutually beneficial relationship between aca- iumfuelstheentryofmembersintothehobby,but
demics and aquarists, including the aquarium at the same time, as the maintenance of an aquar-
trade in its own right, has been the adoption of ium mirrors the functioning of natural systems, it
new models in research, with applications ranging also promotes acquiring basic knowledge about
from aquaculture to biomedicine. For instance, the ecologicalprocesses.Anexampleoftheimportance
zebrafish (Danio rerio, Cyprinidae) was introduced of this aspect in the aquarium hobby is the book
in research as a vertebrate model after George entitled ‘The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium’
Streinsinger, from the University of Oregon, (Walstad 2003). Under the philosophy of creating
obtained a stock from a pet shop in the 1960s an ecosystem in an aquarium, two tendencies can
(Grunwald and Eisen 2002). Likewise, other spe- be observed. On the one hand, there is the busi-
cies originating from the aquarium trade that are ness-led approach of creating the most sophisti-
easily maintained in captivity have also become catedaquaticlandscapepossibleandwithagoalof
popular in academic applications, such as the receiving recognition for it (http://www.aquatic-
medaka (Oryzias latipes, Adrianichthyidae) (Ta- gardeners.org/). On the other hand, there is the
naka et al. 2001; Wittbrodt et al. 2002). In addi- approachofcreatingaquaticlandscapesthatmirror
tion, the study of parasites isolated from fish the biotope from where the species originated
purchased from aquarium retailers has enabled an (http//all4aquarium.ru/en/events/jbl-biotope-con-
increase in our understanding of transmission test-2013/entries).
dynamics of monogenean infections that can have The attractiveness of aquarium landscapes also
devastating consequences either in wild or in cap- furnishes a basis by which aquaria can be used by
tive fish populations (Richards et al. 2012). Such aquarium hobbyist associations and other private
studies have enabled assessment of new therapies and public entities to increase public conservation
(Schelkle et al. 2013) or the suitability of these awareness (Taylor 1993; Cainey et al. 2012; Reid
parasites for enhancing the immune system of et al. 2013; Schwan et al. 2014). In essence, an
captive-reared fish in reintroduction programmes aquarium reveals the often hidden aquatic world
(Faria et al. 2010). Other applications of resources to the general public in much the same way as
provided by aquarium retailers in research have films and other media do (Monroe et al. 2009;
been the validation of a non-invasive sampling Cooke et al. 2013). As an example, the BAA
procedure in the popular angelfish (Pterophyllum invited the University of Barcelona to set up an
scalare, Cichlidae) for the detection of internal fish information panel and several aquaria with native
parasites (Williams et al. 2013). and introduced fish species found in Spanish rivers
to increase public awareness for the conservation
of native fish species during the Barcelona Aquar-
Theaquarium hobbyasamechanism for
ium Meeting in the Mascota Festival and Expo
increasing conservationawareness
(formerly SIZOO), which attracts more than
Public education and engagement in conservation 26 300 visitors (www.salonmascota.com). Like-
activities is another beneficial role of the aquarium wise, the Argentinean Killifish ClubAssociation set
hobby.Asaquaristsdevelopagreaterawarenessof up information panels and exhibition aquaria to
freshwater conservation through their hobby, they show different aspects on the conservation of
are more likely to become more involved in local freshwater fish to visitors of the Natural Science
andinternationalconservationinitiativesthatben- Museum in Buenos Aires (http://www.killiclub.
efit a wide variety of organisms and habitats, not org/). As another example, the SEI association has
just fish (Taylor 1993; Reid et al. 2013; Tlusty an ongoing collaboration with the Zaragoza
et al. 2013). In fact, early experiences keeping fish Aquarium for the ex situ conservation of endan-
in aquariums helped lead many aquatic scientists gered native Spanish species along with increasing
and conservationists, including the authors of this public awareness of other native fauna (www.
article, into their professional careers (see other seiconservation.org). Sometimes these eco-friendly
examples in http://www.cichlidae.com/author_- initiatives have become,for some particular aquar-
docs.php?id=1&type=interview). But even for non- ists, a way of living, as occurred with the develop-
©2014JohnWiley&SonsLtd,FISH andFISHERIES,17,860–874 869