Aquarium fish stickers for awareness

Special thanks to Jem for this campaign, and for reviewing my post. If you have questions about the aquarium trade, please contact her at jbaldisi (at) odu (dot) edu.

Have you seen Finding Nemo, and the sequel Finding Dory?

If you live in the United States you might have seen a “real” Dory, since 45,000 “Dories” or pacific blue tang are imported into the US every year from the Philippines alone, on average.

And what about Nemo? More than 120,000 orange and common clownfish are imported into the US annually from the Philippines.

So do movies like Finding Nemo, and the general aquarium fish trade, hurt fish species in the Philippines and elsewhere? Some studies say movies actually help spread awareness for these species.

But the overall collection of our fish friends along coral reefs from the Philippines and beyond adds to the list of challenges that includes climate change, habitat degradation, pollution, and overfishing for food.

From the Banggai cardinalfish in Indonesia, to the Cortez rainbow wrasse of Costa Rica, negative effects of the aquarium trade have long been recorded for specific species.

Stateside, imported fish for the aquarium trade can also harm fish in the US if pet fish are released into the wild. A study in the state of Washington estimated that up to 21,000 fish are released there by aquarium owners every year. Fish released into these areas can become invasive, similar to lionfish that have invaded the Atlantic coast eating up local species. The appearance of lionfish in these areas are most likely due to their release by aquarium owners.

People let go of their precious pet fish for a number of reasons including aggressiveness, increasing size, high productive rates, and more. Many owners would rather release them than flush them down the toilet, or take the time to donate them to local public aquariums or shops.

Discussions continue regarding whether “Finding more Nemos” is damaging to clownfish populations. However there seems to be a consensus that caring for fish like Dory or blue tangs can be difficult, and therefore discouraged. At least until further understanding of both their care, and the risks involved in capturing them in their native habitats, is established.

The reef aquarium trade is valued around $7.5 million dollars USD, and by 2031 will reach $12 million dollars. Getting the numbers of actual fish caught and sold is a bit more difficult. The US alone imported 1,700 species of fish, counted from 7 million individual fish total in 2011!

Saving Nemo, Dory, and friends

Completely banning the aquarium trade is not the answer because it provides livelihood and supports marine education programs. So solutions posed by scientists include working on both sides of the marine aquarium trade. From the United States to the Philippines: the demand and the supply.

Lots of work must be done on the demand side. This includes aquarium owners, pet shops, and the industry in general, especially in the United States where demand is one of the highest. Pet shops and aquariums can help by focusing their attention on alternative species, which some studies have already identified. They can also educate customers about these fish, and let them know about where sustainable collection is taking place for additional awareness.

Just as much needs to be done on the supply side: coastal areas, reefs, and countries like the Philippines and Indonesia where marine fish export for aquariums are some of the largest. On the supply side close-monitoring of fish collection, promoting non-destructive fishing practices, and monitoring fish populations in countries like the Philippines can help measure and sustain fish species.

With that, a focus on catching the least vulnerable of these fish would help sustain vulnerable wild fish in these countries. It would also allow communities and fishers living on these coastlines to make a sustainable living.

In fact, as study after study shows, community-based management of coastlines is effective because “top-down” regulation (vs. “Bottom-up” or “grassroots” conservation) gives way to disagreement and less awareness.

ABCs for pet fish lovers

A few months ago an old colleague of mine contacted me. Jem and I worked together for the Haribon Foundation a few years ago when she was working with the research department. She is now based in the US continuing her work in marine conservation and finishing her PhD.

She needed illustrations for a set of stickers highlighting popular aquarium fish species. Since I had been making different illustrations for my Philippine Wildlife Project already, I was excited to join her effort and draw more fishes. It also gave me an opportunity to make art and layout work for an American audience regarding aquarium trade issues.

After sending her some line work samples for her review, we proceeded with the full color artwork. Though my species illustrations aren’t meant to be realistic, I do try my best to portray some of the species’ attributes in my art. That way some of the specific qualities the species might have can be used to show them in a unique and interesting way.

Once the artwork was approved, we went ahead and made poster art to help with awareness raising. Jem had come up with a great concept called the “ABCs of responsible aquarium keeping”: Ask, Buy, and Commit.

By keeping to the basics (just like the ABCs), her concept helped me keep the artwork simple too. I focused on spot illustrations instead of full feature illustrations that was restricted to specific dimensions. This helped because she also requested that the artwork could be used separately for other materials. So I made the spot illustrations at a higher resolution so she could use them for other posters, merchandise, presentations, and more.

7 popular fishes in the aquarium trade

One of the reasons why I started my Philippine Wildlife Art project was to learn more about the many different species of the Philippines. It helps me absorb the science, and in turn, communicate it visually to people.

Reviewing the species Jem asked for introduced me to beautiful fish of various colors and behaviors. It was also a “deep dive” into the aquarium trade, and a reminder that fishes are more than just food for humans. They’re also adored for their beauty and wonder as well.

Here are the 7 fish species portrayed as illustrations for the project.

Brownbanded bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum)

This is a “bottom shark” that lives along the coastlines of the Philippines, India, Japan, and Australia. They can be found at the bottom of coral reefs and tide pools. They eat small fish and other small morsels found at the shore bottom and can survive up to 12 hours out of water. They are currently listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. Known in most places in the Philippines as pating.

Source: Fishbase, IUCN Red List.

Green chromis (Chromis viridis)

Green chromis or blue green damselfish can be found from the east coast of the African continent all the way to the Philippines and even further in the Pacific to Tahiti. They swim among corals in areas like reef flats and lagoons and eat phytoplankton: little plants of the sea! They’re known in some Philippine languages as palata, pata, or samok-samok.

Source: Fishbase.

Lawnmower blenny (Salarias fasciatus)

Lawnmower or jewelled blennies are probably called this because of their eating behavior: they scrape off algae along rocks and corals. They also have small bright dots that look like tiny gem stones, which I tried to portray in the artwork. I think I’ve seen fish like this before during low tide in Bohol. Local Philippine names include mangluluksong bato (“rock jumper”), paku, and tambasakan.

Source: Fishbase.

Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus)

These beautiful, colorful, fish are popular as aquarium fish for obvious reasons. A rarer variation of them come in a bright red color. They live in shallow protected lagoons and inshore reefs from the Philippines and along the Western Pacific. Local names in the Philippines include bunog and nangka-tangka.

Source: Fishbase.

Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)

If I had to pick a favorite from this list, it would have to be the Pajama cardinalfish. Cardinalfish are some of my favorite species, mainly because I learned that they are “paternal mouthbrooders”. This means the dad cardinalfish guard their eggs by putting them in their mouths!

On top of this, the pajama cardinalfish definitely look like they’re wearing dotted pajamas on their tails. The name has a playful take on how the fish looks, similar to how the lawnmower blenny’s name seems to be a playful reference to its behavior. Their local names in the Philippines include dangat, kungkungan, and suga.

Sources: Fishbase, AS Hoey et al. 2012.

Sea goldie (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)

Sea goldies look like goldfish, but prettier and with some flair. Also they live in the ocean. They are also “protogynous hermaphrodites”, or animals that are born female and then change to male! This happens when a group of sea goldies are all female: some turn male so the group can reproduce.

Sources: Fishbase, Y Sakai 2022.

Whitetail dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus)

One cool aspect of whitetail dascyllus is that the males do a special dance to attract females. They’re also in the same family of fish as the green chromis mentioned earlier: damselfish! They’re known locally in the Philippines in various languages as kikiringan and palata.

Source: Fishbase.

Remember the ABCs of responsible aquarium keeping

Looking to buy fish for your aquarium, or know someone who is? Help spread awareness by doing the following when looking for new pet fish!

ASK your local pet store & do research on the fish species before you buy. Knowledge is the key to making a sustainable choice & keeping your fish alive. Remember to ASK…

• ”How do I take care of this fish?”
• ”Is this fish appropriate for my tank & skill level?”
• ”Is there a captive-bred option?”
• ”Where did this fish come from?”
• ”How was this fish collected, handled, & transported?”

BUY captive-bred fishes when available.

• When buying wild-caught fishes, make sure it can be legally harvested, exported & purchased by searching for the fish on the CITES or NOAA websites.
• Buy from sellers who comply with responsible collection, transport, & export practices.

COMMIT to caring for your fish!

• Follow proper handling, acclimatization & care instructions.
• If you can’t care for your fish anymore, do not release it into the wild & turn your pet into a pest. Instead, give your fish to another aquarium owner, pet shop, school, or your local aquarium.

If you have any questions about the aquarium trade, please contact her at jbaldisi (at) odu (dot) edu.

See if you can find the above fish at your local aquarium

Coincidentally I saw two of the 7 fish I had illustrated for Jem and the Virginia Sea Grant in a museum.

A month or so after finishing the artwork, my wife and I were touring the city of Liverpool in the UK. On the aquarium floor of the Liverpool World Museum, we saw a large aquarium with fish I thought looked familiar. Lo and behold, it was the Pajama cardinal fish and Green chromis inside.

Museums and aquariums have their place in raising awareness about marine life. In the long term, the goal should be to sustain the environment and the beautiful species found both in the wild, or inside our homes and cities. To do that, we must support researchers, institutions, and conservation groups who are doing the hard work to learn about how to keep them around for generations to come!

References

1. Rhyne, Tlusty, Holmberg, and Szczebak 2015. Aquariumtradedata.org.
2. D Verissimo, 2019. Did the movie Finding Dory increase demand for blue tang fish? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01233-7
3. LE Dee, et al., 2019. Assessing Vulnerability of Fish in the U.S. Marine Aquarium Trade. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00527/full
4. N Kolm, et al., 2003. Wild Populations of a Reef Fish Suffer from the “Nondestructive” Aquarium Trade Fishery. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2003.01522.x
5. DJ McCauley, 2008. Effects of the aquarium fish industry in Costa Rica on populations of the Cortez rainbow wrasse Thalassoma lucasanum. https://www.cienciasmarinas.com.mx/index.php/cmarinas/article/view/1361
6. AL Streckter, et al., 2011. The Aquarium Trade as an Invasion Pathway in the Pacific Northwest. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1577/03632415.2011.10389070
7. The 800-Pound Grouper in the Room by R Holmberg, 2015. http://blog.aquariumtradedata.org/2015/07/the-800-pound-grouper-in-room.html
8. Reef Aquarium Market. Straits Research. https://straitsresearch.com/report/reef-aquarium-market
9. AL Rhyne, et al., 2017. Expanding our understanding of the trade in marine aquarium animals. https://peerj.com/articles/2949/
10. AL Rhyne, et al., 2013. Is sustainable exploitation of coral reefs possible? A view from the standpoint of the marine aquarium trade. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877343513001942
11. JC Villaseñor-Derbez, et al., 2022. Two Decades of Community-Based Marine Conservation Provide the Foundations for Future Action. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.893104/full
12. RB Pollnac, et al., 2001. Discovering factors that influence the success of community-based marine protected areas in the Visayas, Philippines. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0964569101000758
13. P Christie, et al., 2008. Community‐based coral reef management on san Salvador island, the Philippines. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08941929409380849