Fish origin and why does it matter?

[mrpontiac80]

When I look for fish to purchase I often see the seller will list where it is from and sometimes the price can vary a lot. I assume that this is because of the way they are captured, and the health that each location may provide or maybe the colors are dull or brighter.
but let’s say for example if I want a desjardinii sailfin tang, one from Sri Lanka may cost a little more than one from Kenya… and so on.
im Currently looking to buy a group of anthias and the location they come from makes a big difference in the total price considering I want 7-10 of them. Should I care?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I built a Caribean species tank once, so I was interested in the origin of fish and corals. So species tank is one possible reason

 

[zoomonster]

Part of it is the freight costs from that origin and the second part is while a fish may exist in multiple regions some have better colors/variations.

 

[mrpontiac80]

I built a Caribean species tank once, so I was interested in the origin of fish and corals. So species tank is one possible reason

I can understand that, but i really feel it must have something to do with the health of the fish or the methods as to how they are collected. I’ve heard nasso tangs are not as healthy as they once were but the location most are now coming from are different ? The anthias I am looking at are roughly $40 for ea or $60 each depending on the location they are from. That’s a big difference.

 

[nereefpat]

This article of Jay's should help:

Sourcing Marine Fishes and Invertebrates

Sourcing Marine Fishes and Invertebrates Experienced aquarists are aware that fishes from different regions of the world can have different levels of sustainability when acquired for their aquariums. The reasons for these differences may include collection technique (the use of cyanide for...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[mrpontiac80]

This article of Jay's should help:

Sourcing Marine Fishes and Invertebrates

Sourcing Marine Fishes and Invertebrates Experienced aquarists are aware that fishes from different regions of the world can have different levels of sustainability when acquired for their aquariums. The reasons for these differences may include collection technique (the use of cyanide for...

www.reef2reef.com

Great article I probably read in the past and forgot about. Thanks!

 

[R-balljunkie]

huge difference. one of the 1st questions i ask before purchasing. My opinion Indo fish do not do as well.

 

[Cheese Griller]

Collection method plays a role, since it impacts the general health of the fish you'll be receiving. Intraspecific variation also may impact price depending on species. You mentioned that you're purchasing antias, and lyretail males notoriously have different coloration depending on region of collection.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I've got to be honest, I'm sure there are reckless collection methods everywhere and it seems incredibly difficult to actually measure how humanely/ what methods were used...if you're concerned about cyanide being used, I'd just buy a fish that was pre QT'd since it would almost certainly die before the quarantine period was over if it were terminally injured. In regards to coloration, just buy fish you can see before purchasing if that's your primary concern. I think it's more of a way to charge more without any real evidence that the fish is worth more if I'm to be completely honest. Just a crazy made up example...if there were a total of 150 wild caught Desjardini Tangs caught and exported from Vanuatu, a shop would definitely want to charge more than one from anywhere else regardless of anything other than that fact (which you really don't have any reason to believe except for faith that they wouldn't lie and nobody would lie to them).

 

[coral reeftank]

Typically collection area determines the final price through
1) collection/handling/facilities/shipping costs
2) currency exchange rates/cost of living for area of collection
3) health/quality of specimen

The majority of the fish in our hobby are very cheap on the collection side of things (several dollars) but you have to account for the amount of times the fish changes hands as it makes its way to its final destination. Each change of hands means profit must be made leading to additional cost to the end consumer. So any combination of these variables can influence the final price. The diver might charge more in Australia than Indonesia, or the fish had to go through 10 facilities vs direct from diver.