Live Aquarium Fish Collection Areas
So where do all these salwater fish we have in our aquariums come from? When people hear the words "tropical fish", they typically think of a sunny beach and a shallow lagoon with colorful fish swimming around. It's true that saltwater aquairum fish do, in large part, come from tropical locales. Where those regions are though might surprise you.
The vast majority of live aquarium fish are colleced from two neighboring regions, the South Pacific and Micronesia. Micronesia is defined by the oceanic area west of Hawaii and east of Indonesia. Notable collection sites in this area are the Marshall Isalnds, known for its live rock, and Palau. In the South Pacific, most of the major collection sites are found including Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and Tonga. Because of the cheap labor and land, this is where a very large percentage of saltwater fish are collected. This region also produces the most live rock.
Another popular colletion site that many aquarists may not know about is the Red Sea. Yes, the Middle East has beautiful reefs and a great deal of unique and interesting marine fish. It is home to such beauties as the Desjardini Sailfin Tank and the Purple Tang. Many of the most sought-after live aquarium fish come from this area.
Finally, we do collect saltwater fish here in the U.S. as well. We have reef systems in both Hawaii and Florida. The U.S. is very strict in its collection laws, but many unqiue species of marine fish are found in the trade. From Florida you can find beautiful French Angels and Queen Angels. Hawaii has many indigenous species such as the delicate Moorish Idol.
Research your saltwater fish's natural habitit so you can provive it a proper home in your aquarium.