It's not a cichlid but still....

[budak]

Apparently, some folks elsewhere actually care about preserving their local biodiversity. See Stop That Fish!.

Without swearing off every opportunity to lampoon the trade, I would be perfectly happy to see people making whoopee with their luohans (and other large, predatory fishes) if only they don't harbour the sad notion that releasing these beasts into local waters constitutes a good deed or act of merit.




[Cichlidae Medalodon]

Darn snakeheads.

[lsz]

i do not know what constitute singapore local waters actually

is it reservoirs or what little jungle streams we have.
i think much of our reservoirs are not that natural in the first place..

anyhow, not just Luohans. Arowanas, oscars, peacock bass had been firmly establish of our "major waterways" since long ago. Not to mention tilapias.


But somehow it is always the side product of the fish trade we enjoy so much now.

[Dovii]

Releasing unwanted pet fish is not a good option.
Neither is releasing wanted food fish.

This problem has created the biggest mass extinction since the dinosaur era - that is lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria originally has the biggest diversity of cichlid in th eworld, probably more than Malawi.
But they are small in size.

Therefore people releases the Nile perch, so it can eat the smaller cichlids and grow to 4 or 5 feet size. Wonderful for food fish. But eat it did, and the cichlid evolution in the lake has not equipped the lake victoria cichlids to deal with thethis foreign monster. And 98 percent of the lake cichlids is extinct now. Living us with a handful.

The same has happen to madasgar cichlids, the snake head and the black bass has eat their way into the local water ways leaving a trail of extinction such as the pinstripe damba.

Sigh, but the AVA now like got caning for cruelty to animals, then cannot flush down toilet bowl.....
Don't know feeding feeder fish is cruelty or not

[lsz]

personally i think just killing off a fish if it is "really" that unwanted is better than releasing it in the wild. It is fast if done properly.

The moral issue of feeders always provoke huge debates.

My stand is it is ok.

But there will be other issues raised such as if it really is needed .. can just artificial food just do the job.

Someone expressed his disgust during a zoo feeding session of live fish to piranhas (not in singapore). He think it is a terrible way to educate kids. But my opinion was that it is only accurate and natural, provided explained properly that it is part of nature.

[Dovii]

Agreed. At least then the son will not put the finger into the water if he ever go on a safari trip to Amazon. It's just real and accurate. It prepares people for the real world.

And the real world is anything but disney land.

That happened in one South Africa safari park. A couple went out of their car to pet the lions. And got half eaten. Perhaps they watched the lion king and thier parents do not allow them to watch animal planet on real lions tearing apart their prey?

[lsz]

thats the problem

it is just natural to avoid things that are less than pleasant to see or hear

[Dovii]

After marriage, our wives are less than pleasant to see and hear also.