Bangaii Cardinals listed as Endangered
 

I just wanted to get the word out for those who don't know that the Bangaii Cardinal is at risk of extinction in the wild

Wild populations have dropped 90% due to over harvest for the aquarium trade.

The Bangaii cardinals has been listed as endangered since 2007 however to my surprise wild caught specimens are still regularly available in the aquarium trade.

I have seen this first hand in many Reef stores in my area. These specimens are sold at extremely low prices despite how rare they are becoming. At these low prices captive bred cardinals cannot compete.

I urged anyone in the hobby to spend a little bit more and only purchase tank raised specimens.

Here are some links below for anyone who would like to learn more.

ICUN redlist
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/63572/0

WIKI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banggai_cardinalfish

Boreman Macna Presentation
http://www.njaas.org/pdf%20files/MACNA_08.pdf

Tropical fish Magazine
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/saltwater...umans-1933.htm

Glassboxdesign
http://glassbox-design.com/2008/bang...nly-available/

Thanks for your time

Thanks for posting those. I remember in 2007 when it was announced and I've been reminding people locally about it ever since. Sadly no one cares. Even yesterday I went into our LFS so see their new livestock shipment. They only got in about 5 different species of fish and among them were two Bangaii Cardinals! Considering all of the variety they can choose from I thought that was pretty pathetic. But then again everything about their SW section is pretty pathetic.

So just curious, I havent had time to read the articles yet but is everyone against these guys in the aquarium trade all together as there endangered or are the captive bred always welcome? The only reason I ask is that captive bred ones have to come from somewhere and with them endangered and all.

Also considering that these are mouth-brooders, and are relatively easy to breed, as sw fishes' goes. Anyone who've had these fish know that they are quite easy to multiply from 3 to a few more each time they turn around.
So yeah, don't buy these wild-caught, if you can. Wait until ppl have some to sell that they've hand-raised.
Lenny.

geez ive read so many posts of these guys breeding and actually producing young that grow to adult hood. Its so easy to do. They remind me of guppies...except they are mouth brooders... and saltwater... and dont have the same parts BUT STILL lol

Its a shame

Couldn't state it better myself Lenny, I didn't even try to Breed mine and I was constantly finding babies in the sump/ overflow.

Well, if ppl like you find "accidentals" that they don't want, it's always nice to sell them to your fellow canreefers.
I'd love a few in my tank, but am always cognizant of this very fact, so I won't buy them in LFS.
Hopefully anyone who read this will pass it onto those who don't know.
And hopefully we'll start to see some juvs offer up for sell or trade soon here!
Lenny.

why would you all assume the specimens in the LFS are wild caught?

If you check the shipment list at fish vendors they are clearly stated from the wild. Unless they are clearly stated and being sold at a higher price they probably are from the wild.

In my area they have been going for as cheap as $6 each so I'm pretty sure they from the wild.
I can't imagine anyone able to sell their stock at those prices and even breaking even.

With prices that low no wonder there is no demand for captive breed cardinals. Also even with captive breeding they can not keep up with the demand. According to the articles about 900 000 cardinals are exported each year. And that's the ones that make it to the shipper.

Personally I would have no problem with captive bred specimens. Its obvious all captive bred stock where bred from wild caught stock but at this point of time Bangaii cardinals have been proven to breed and captivity. Since its an option to captive breed instead of catching from the wild we should only buy captive and let the wild populations rebound.

If it was sustainable I would buy wild caught specimens but unfortunately in this case the aquarium trade is solely responsible for the decline. In the wild they aren't even caught for food.

really?
by reading this thread you would assume they were quite prolific breeders and would make an ideal specimen for profitable captive propagation.

6$ for a Bangaii?

Where have you seen prices like that?

At those prices, given how easy it reputably is to breed these fish, I would assume they were more than likely captive bred locally, maybe even from a hobbyist as the cost of paying for and shipping a wild caught bangaii would never come in profitably for such a small sum.

It's sad the state of the Banggai cardinalfish and it's native populations being so pressured, although I have been hearing about how pressured it is for a long time, this really isn't anything new.

However I'll go on the record that I don't think a blanket ban of wild-caught Banggai cardinalfish is the answer. As usual there is a lot more than meets the eye.

The Banggai is so-named because the original native range for this fish was around the Banggai Islands near Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is in this spot where the numbers are hugely threatened. However there are now populations of this fish, seemingly thriving, in other areas where, for however reason, it was introduced. And like any introduced non-native species, it is causing problems by outcompeting native species. Ironic. Threatened to the point of extinction in the native stomping grounds in the Banggai island, at the same time causing problems by being too prolific in the Lembeh straight.

So to me, while I fully endorse the notion of a ban on collection from the actual Banggai area, a blanket ban on wild-caught fish doesn't seem like an ideal answer. Why not still allow collection from areas where they don't belong and help mitigate the potential damage being done there?

http://reefbuilders.com/2010/02/25/b...way-from-home/

http://reefbuilders.com/2011/01/04/b...tural-habitat/

http://reefbuilders.com/2011/03/01/i...-cardinalfish/

+1.

My lfs owner told me it worked out to almost $2-3 per fish tacked on to the cost to ship from a California supplier to Toronto (shipping is probably dependant on quantity of fish too). At $6 per fish retail, i don't know how that could ever even cover shipping for a wild caught, let alone make a profit.