Marine Aquarium Fish Hobby
65There is a extensive selection of Marine Aquarium Fish in the hobby to suit just about anybody. We have the veritable pick of the litter from hundreds of species of marine aquarium fishes which do not contain popular invertebrates such as marine crustaceans. The fishes that come into the industry come in just about every shape and size imaginable.
From the brilliant sunburst reds and oranges of the Flame Angelfish to the labyrinth of coloration that are regularly witnessed on the mandarin fish. From the colossal brutes that are the Triggerfish to the tiny half inch flaming prawn gobies. We are spoiled for choice and it looks like the only restraining factor is the size of your wallet.
However, most of us cannot afford the pricier marine fish and have to settle with the normal types. Most genera have as a minimum one or two varieties that are priced economically. Consider the clownfish family for instance. Most clown fish are within the $20 to $50 dollar limit for common species. When dealing with exceptional tank raised strains for instance the platinum and picasso clown fish, the price rises into the hundreds of dollars.
The most high-priced species are of course the McCullochi Clown fish. The last time liveaquaria had a mated pair, it sold for $6000. Outside clownfishes we have the familiar damsel fish, gobies, blennies plus some reasonably priced species of tang fish and angelfish. A great number of them are very beautiful and can be had for a song. Selected species of note are the the Blue Tang fish, Yellow Tang fish, Mandarin Goby (Tough to rear) and the assortment of brightly colored damsel fish that are frequently under $20.
Because they are almost always wild caught, they can occasionally arrive with a variety of diseases and marine parasites. Fish exporters deal in bulk. Which means that collected fishes are occasionally kept in shocking surroundings that are just right for the spread of parasites. This has allowed the materialization of a thriving parasite and disease management industry in the hobby.
While some get into the hobby because of corals, the vast majority do so because they were so fascinated to saltwater aquarium fish at some point in the past. In terms of assortment, marine organisms are hard to beat.
