Wednesday February 26, 2025
The Fish Site —
Colourful reef fish are popular pets for many, but researchers at the University of Florida are concerned about the impacts of the sourcing of these fish, which are often wild-caught.
Seeking to reduce this pressure on Florida’s reef ecosystems, the researchers hope to encourage aquaculture producers to breed popular species to meet the consumer demand.
“Aquaculture here decreases the need for wild-caught fish. It is sustainable, and it provides a healthy fish for the aquarium trade,” said Cortney Ohs, associate Professor of fisheries and aquatic sciences at the University of Florida, in a press release.
So far the researchers’ mission has been met with success, having managed to breed notoriously difficult species such as blue tang, alongside pet-shop classics such as the clownfish. Going forward they hope to expand their repertoire to encompass many of the most popular reef fish species.