> Message: 11 > Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:31:56 -0800 (PST) > From: "Clifford Miller" <clifford@clevergeek.com> > To: "Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat" > <gsas-member@thekrib.com> > Subject: Re: [GSAS-Member] Largest home aquarium (Susan Welenofsky) > Message-ID: <49635.98.203.222.203.1263277916.squirrel@clevergeek.com> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 > > > I missed the original post, but thought I'd chime in to say I've seen > juvie Arapima for sale in the Seattle area several times in the last year > in the sub $200 range. I'm not sure what the current legal status is, but > they definitely show up and aren't hard to find. > > Cliff > They're CITES listed, in fact on the Red list (in 2000): http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html as threatened Just because something's available in a pet shop doesn't mean it's 1) legal to keep 2) ethical to keep or 3) reasonable to keep - Arapaima properly kept get *huge*. These things get to be 6 feet long! Consider that Arapaima aren't bred in captivity, the best thing you can do is just keep on walking past when you see some in a shop, and consider patronizing other shops that are more ethical. Shops won't sell them if people don't buy them. Don't buy them. Buy some big cichlids, they're way more interesting and easier to keep. Participate in things like Victorian cichlid conservation, the fish (well, some of 'em) are very attractive. Likewise, Madagascar cichlids are being kept in captivity quite well and are very interesting and some, esp. the Dambas, quite attractive looking. I've seen them for years available in pet shops around the country. Juvies as you point out are kind of small-ish and your average pet shop customer is not too well informed _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390710/direct/01/ _______________________________________________ GSAS-Member mailing list GSAS-Member@thekrib.com http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member