Culture of Established and Potential Species—Ornamental Fish

Abstract

Healthy cultured aquarium fish are preferred over wild fish that might have diseases, parasites, or injuries from being captured or drugged. If well nourished, they can be just as colorful as wild fish. Time from spawning to marketing is shorter than for food fish, and price per kilogram is much higher. Some very rare species can sell for thousands of dollars each. The bulk of the U.S. freshwater ornamental fish industry and several wholesalers are based in Florida. Stocks in most traditional collecting areas have diminished, and legal restrictions are rapidly curbing the indiscriminate collecting methods of the past.