Bangai Cardinals?

Question

Hi does anyone knoe where in the UK you can buy captive bred bangai cardinals, as I have read that they are threatened in the wild?

Answer 1

I've also read a recent article about these (maybe it was in Practical Fishkeeping?). The gist of the atricle was that some agency had tried to apply for CITES protection for them, BUT the protection was turned down. Evidently the people involved in determining their status decided that even though there's a low number of fish in the wild (due to their limited range), the breeding success of the species was such that at current levels of removal, taking wild-caught specimens didn't pose a threat to their survival (yet).

Since Bangaiis are one of the more easily spawned and raised of the saltwater species (due to the species being paternal mouth brooders, the number of fry is lower per brood, but are much larger than typical fry when released from the father's mouth and stand a better chance for survival) there's no real reason NOT to get captive bred specimens, so I commend you for that.

While I'm in the US, and am not that familiar with UK stores, one of the best sources I've found for getting captive-bred fish is local aquarium societies. You can often get fish at a better price and better quality than what you find in stores as well. See this link to find clubs that may be near you: http://www.aquaworldaquarium.com/Local_Fish_Clubs.htm . Even if no members have Bangaiis, they may be able to point you toward a store where they are availble.

Answer 2

Wow! It's good that some people actually pay attention on what they read. I think, you should read more about that article. You should try and call up some aquarium store around you that can buy it for you if they are captive bred.