Talk about some prices!
- Thread starter evannn
- Start date
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
Yeah it's a wonder how cheap fish can be when you don't have to ship a big bag of water on a plane 
That said, that's one of the few places I would consider having an outdoor saltwater lagoon/pond, although not having coral would be a bummer... but then again, put on a snorkel and you can see those fish fairly easily as they're all fairly common there.
That said, that's one of the few places I would consider having an outdoor saltwater lagoon/pond, although not having coral would be a bummer... but then again, put on a snorkel and you can see those fish fairly easily as they're all fairly common there.
Chromis
Supporting Member
I’ve seen these little guys snorkeling around Hawaii and feel like selling them this cheap could encourage people to put them into inadequate set ups - if they kill the fish it’s only a $7 loss to them but a big loss to the fish diversity over there. I’m not sure Hawaii’s fish population is that healthy right now based on my observations the last few years. Each time I visit there are fewer fish and they are more aggressive - from experience with tangs and chromises they only get cranky if they feel their food supply is short. Given how dead/dying the reefs are in Hawaii it would not surprise me if the fish populations were suffering.
How do Hawaii and other places for that matter go about assessing which fish are abundant and which should be left alone?
How do Hawaii and other places for that matter go about assessing which fish are abundant and which should be left alone?
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
... or they can buy them for $5/lbs and just eat them en mas.
Or just bring a spear gun and go fishing yourself
Now I'm not saying that eating these fish are bad, but the reality is the food fish industry claims quite a bit more fish than the ornamental industry. Besides pricing on those fish are also due to how easy they are to catch, that's why damsels and chromis are so damn cheap (even with a huge bag of water to ship with them)
That said, I've heard the Hawaii fisheries are one of the better regulated ones, and they do have a fairly good handle on fish numbers and making sure one doesn't go extinct. While one particular area may be low on say yellow tangs, doesn't mean all areas are, and the mindset is by making some areas off limits to fishing they can have a refuge to grow and then repopulate into the others, and those refuge area do rotate.
Coral reefer
Past President
I wonder how much dog meat goes for some places compared to the thousands that we pay for them as pets sometimes.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
Seeing trays of tridacna clams for sale as food for a pittance compared to what we pay for the live versions in our tanks
But just need to remember it's their resource, it's a food source for them, and it's a fine line to criticize another culture over something like that that the eat when my desire is just to stare at it in a box of the ocean, and that's really a rabbit hole I don't want to go down
Coral reefer
Past President
not criticizing at allSeeing trays of tridacna clams for sale as food for a pittance compared to what we pay for the live versions in our tanks
But just need to remember it's their resource, it's a food source for them, and it's a fine line to criticize another culture over something like that that the eat when my desire is just to stare at it in a box of the ocean, and that's really a rabbit hole I don't want to go down
Seeing trays of tridacna clams for sale as food for a pittance compared to what we pay for the live versions in our tanks
As with Coral Reefer, not criticizing, but - something interesting was at Little Hot Pot in Fremont. $40 AYCE (pre-COVID), and one of the dishes you could select was spearer mantis shrimp. I remember going there right after seeing a peacock mantis shrimp at Neptune for $40 and thinking of food cost vs aquarium cost...
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
Didn't mean to imply anyone was criticizing, just saying for me it's a fine line to cross, as there absolutely are some things that I will say "Yeah that's bad, you shouldn't do it, etc etc" e.g. shark fin. But I'm not going to criticize a box full of achillies tangs for sale for 5 bucks a pound as "wrong" because it would cost me $200 for a single fish (or whatever they happen to cost). That bag of water you buy is awfully expensive
Regarding your specific question, Hawaii has by most accounts the most regulated fishery in the world. They do regularly take stock of fish populations and change catch allowances for food and livestock accordingly. I’m not saying it is perfect or politics-free, but it is much better than most other places we get livestock (or food) from.
Yup
iani
Supporting Member
Nice. I grew up in Aiea. Parents still live up road from there. I knew I recognized the tanks.
Dorfman
Guest
I have spent the past two weeks in Maui and have to return to the Bay Area tomorrow. I have loved spending hours in the water watching all these beautiful creatures in their natural environment... and wondering how I can smuggle some of them back with me ;-) They won't miss a few... right?