Around the World
One of the most frequently asked questions is "Where do the fish come
from?". Well the answer is in the title of this page.
The fish found in shops such as ours are collected from every continent
on earth with the exception of Antarctica. Their habitats range from the
largest freshwater lakes on the planet to shallow stagnant puddles by a
jungle track. From the greatest of the earths river systems to the
smallest of streams, often nothing more than a trickle. They
are found at all altitudes from high mountains to dark underground cave
systems and in temperatures from only a few degrees above freezing to
scalding springs hot enough to blister human skin.
Clearly many are so specialised as to be unsuitable for the home
aquarium, but the keen aquarist still has the choice from thousands of
different species, certainly enough for most tastes.
Some species are still wild caught by licensed collectors in their native
habitat and transported to centralised collection stations where they
are correctly identified, sorted and quarantined before being listed for
sale on the international market. Many others are captive breed,
either in their country of origin, or in breeding centres in Europe and
the Far East. Most arrive in the UK via
national distributors, but some larger retailers like ourselves do
import some stock directly from reputable dealers abroad
Today the international trade in ornamental fish is well regulated to
ensure that natural stocks are managed responsibly and not dangerously
depleted and helps to prevent illicit trade in endangered species.
It will also have a positive effect on the welfare and treatment of livestock
and hopefully drive the unscrupulous out of the industry.
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