Love the star of the animated Disney movie Finding Dory and her pal Nemo? Owning Dory—a royal blue tang fish—is on many marine fish lovers’ wish lists. Soon you may be able to have Dory (or a fish very like her) swimming in your own saltwater aquarium.
The royal blue tang fish (also called just “blue tang,” leading to mix-ups with the Atlantic blue tang species) lives in coastal waters from East Africa to Australia. The striking flat fish have royal blue bodies, yellow tails, and black markings. Adult blue tangs average about a foot in length.
Thanks to the cartoon fish’s charm, there’s lots of demand for royal blue tang. Some scientists want to breed the fish in tanks to help supply the market, but that’s not easy to do. The royal blue tang reproduces well in its natural habitat, but in captivity—that’s a different story.After six years of trying, a team of University of Florida researchers, along with
Rising Tide Conservation, has had some success.
Matt DiMaggio is an assistant professor at the university’s Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory. He and his team are still perfecting the difficult process of raising the fish in captivity. That includes managing the blue tang’s feeding, lighting, temperature, and water flow needs.
During one trial, the team raised only 27 fish out of 50,000 eggs.
Researchers aren’t just raising these fish for the cute factor—royal blue tangs fetch a pretty penny. One day, the team hopes to pass on its method to pet fish farmers.
The royal blue tang costs from $30 for a tiny one to $150 for an adult. Raising the vibrant fish in a lab could boost Florida’s $27 million aquaculture industry. That would grow jobs for those who supply fish for home aquariums.
Currently anyone who wants a royal blue tang must buy fish collected from the Pacific Ocean.
Some animal advocates dislike the idea of netting fish in the wild. Others disagree with breeding them in captivity. Another group thinks the biggest concern is damage to coral reefs, the fish’s native habitat. Might people harvesting the blue tang harm fragile reef systems?
Rising Tide and the aquaculture lab researchers think captive-breeding the royal blue tang will protect coral reefs while building commerce.
Who’s right? God gave humans dominion over animals, and He expects humans to take care of His creation. Finding the right balance requires that we just keep learning. Or as Dory would say, just keep swimming.
