Excellent Article from October Reefkeeping

[BeltwayBandit]

Here is a very good read on the dangers of invasive species and how we in the aquarium hobby are partly responsible.

 

"Too often, upon realizing that a specimen is poorly suited to their home aquarium, a well-meaning but misguided hobbyist decides that it should be released back into the wild. Although this may seem to some people like a noble thing to do, hopefully the previous examples have shown what a potential disaster this can create. "

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-10/feature/index.php

 

Here is a list of the invasive species established in the everglades (you will recognize several common aquarium fishes):

 

http://www.evergladescisma.org/species/fish.cfm

 

Midas cichlid Amphilophus citrinellus

convict cichlid Archocentrus nigrofasciatus

oscar Astronotus ocellatus

pike killifish Belonesox belizanus Kner

bullseye snakehead Channa marulius

clown knifefish Chitala ornata

butterfly peacock bass Cichla ocellaris

black acara Cichlasoma bimaculatum

yellowbelly cichlid Cichlasoma salvini

Mayan cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus

walking catfish Clarias batrachus

common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758

redstriped eartheater Geophagus surinamensis

African jewelfish Hemichromis letourneuxi

banded cichlid Heros severus

armored catfishes Hoplosternum littorale

peacock eel Macrognathus siamensis

oriental weatherfish Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

Asian swamp eel Monopterus albus (Zuiew, 1793)

blue tilapia Oreochromis aureus

Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852)

lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758)

vermiculated sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus

Orinoco sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus

blackchin tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron melanotheron

firemouth cichlid Thorichthys meeki Brind

spotted tilapia Tilapia mariae Boulenger

croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata

variable platyfish Xiphophorus variatus

 

 

Locally we are all familiar with the Northern Snakehead which has become established in the Potomac river, so it can happen here too.

[scott711]

Good article.

 

look at the snakehead around here. Used to see them in Aquarium shops until some bonehead released it locally.

[Guest Larry-T]

The snakeheads that were released locally were from someone who order them through a Chinese supermarket (which wasn't licensed to bring livestock into the country) and then decided not to cook them when his wife got better without the "native medicine." Out of 30 or so species of snakeheads, the two varients of Channa argus are the ONLY ones that can live in this area full time. All of the others die when the temp gets down into the 50s or 60s. So this bonehead play by someone ordering food through dealer who had no business ordering these animals cause the entire complex (including some small and attractive species) to be banned.

 

To add to the list, I have collected the Chinese White Cloud Mountain Fish in the Apple River in Northern Illinois.

 

Sophisiticated hobbyists are probably the last group that would ever release an aquarium specimen into the wild. We know better. It's the ignorant and uncaring that hurt us all.

[BeltwayBandit]

Sophisiticated hobbyists are probably the last group that would ever release an aquarium specimen into the wild. We know better. It's the ignorant and uncaring that hurt us all.

 

True enough, but isn't it our responsibility (albeit somewhat selfish) to learn as much as we can about the problem? That way, when we do encounter the 'ignorant and uncaring' we can at least attempt to educate them to the serious consequences of poor husbandry.

[Guest Larry-T]

True enough, but isn't it our responsibility (albeit somewhat selfish) to learn as much as we can about the problem? That way, when we do encounter the 'ignorant and uncaring' we can at least attempt to educate them to the serious consequences of poor husbandry.

 

I agree. Whenever possible I explain the multiple reasons why it is unwise, illegal, and inconsiderate to release captive livestock (plant or animal) into the wild.