Breeding Aquarium Fish Can Help Save Reefs
People are still figuring out how to breed many species in captivity, but new advances could help halt reef destruction and protect vulnerable wild fish.
Walk into any pet or aquarium store, and you’re going to find clownfish. That orange-and-white-striped Nemo is practically synonymous with saltwater aquariums, and it’s one of the first fish new hobbyists turn to. It was also one of the first marine aquarium fish to be bred in captivity, back in the 1970s. Today dozens of varieties are available from breeders around the world.
Most species of fish for the marine aquarium trade, though, come from the wild. Worldwide, the marine aquarium industry is valued at between $200 million and $300 million, according to a 2003 United Nations report. About 1.3 million American households have saltwater aquariums that are home to 9.3 million fish, a 2014 survey by
