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Yes, indeed, this week I'm actually doing two fish. These two fish should now be ultra-rare in light of the ban on their fishing and export from Brazil.

RFotW #3 -- Hypancistrus zebra -- Zebra Plec, L046



Just about everyone has heard about this rare fish. The demand is absolutely phenomenal for this black and white fish, much moreso than any other loricariid. And why not? They are attractive and they stay small enough to be kept in rational tank sizes.

There is no need to go into such care specifics that have been repeated countless times. But because of the recent ban, the price of Zebra Plecs will soon skyrocket from $70-$120 as more and more people learn that their Zebra Plecs are the last ones to come straight from Brazil, and will be for years to come. Unfortunately, Zebra Plecs are notoriously hard to sex, and even if you get them to breed you still rarely ever get more than twenty fry; this makes large scale breeding projects difficult, which is mostly why there aren't many (or any).

Links:

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=53570&genusname=Hypancistrus&speciesname=zebra

http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/1997_11.php

http://www.zebrapleco.com/

RFotW #4 -- Potamotrygon sp. -- Pearl Ray



The other fish to have a ban placed on it is the Pearl Ray. This is definitely one of the most valuable freshwater stingrays, if not the most. Before the ban prices ranged from $600 for lower quality and smaller specimens to over $1000 for the top notch Pearls. The price drop down below $1000 was quite recent; it was brought on due to the high demand which led to the overfishing of this ray. It can be expected that there will be almost no more Pearl Rays sold because of the ban, as their value is much higher now because of the ban.

Because they are cartilaginous fishes, they are sensitive to medication. A UV sterilizer is a great way to prevent disease. If disease strikes, the cure most often suggested is salt, though there are some medications that may not affect rays. With such expensive fish, it's best to just not deal with that and get a UV sterilizer.

Despite what is normally said, stingrays are not particularly delicate if you just keep up with water changes and have a powerful filtration system. They're active fish that will swim all over the place, but as such they also eat a lot. When a certain seller of stingrays was told that he was lucky to still have a number of them after the ban was placed, he remarked that the food bill was enough to make him unlucky.

Pearl Rays have been bred in captivity once or twice, but the high price on them has made it rare for most people to have more than one. However, it can be expected that the breeding of these rays can't be much more difficult than that of other rays. Of course, males can be sexed by the claspers, which the females lack.

Links:

http://www.freshwaterstingray.nl/1Engels/Species8.html

Past Rare Fish of the Week:
1. Polynemus paradiseus -- Paradise threadfin
2. Anableps anableps -- Four-Eyed Fish

Last edited by Shinigami at 26-Sep-2004 12:15[/font][/font]

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

They're both gorgeous fish! Too bad I'm sane, or I'd get one of them.

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Goood choices! Are all the selections going to be of freshwater fish?

Last edited by LittleMousling at 26-Sep-2004 16:38

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Those are awsome looking!!!
Yet, again a teacher's salary doesn't allow me the awsomeness that they present...that and my sanity...:%)

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Are all the selections going to be of freshwater fish?

Well, technically the two first ones were brackish, but I suppose a saltwater one is in order soon. The way it's looking, though, most will be freshwater for the time being. :%)

Yeah, Pearl Rays are definitely for mostly the insane people with much cash. Even wholesale they're still hundreds of dollars. I'm an insane person, I just don't have the money to get a Pearl Ray.:%)

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

[font color="#000080"]I like the pics. I was wondering when was the ban enforced? [/font]

The Spotted Handfish

How could you not like this little oddball?

{theres better descriptive sites than this one but the pics of the handfish are better here)

i have always been under the impression that freshwater stingrays have been on the expensive side due to their propensity to breed in non-native waters as opposed to their rarity in their native lands. a lot of states do not allow their ownership due to this fear.

was the ban imposed by the united states, or from their country of origin? i have experienced the thrill of fishing for pacus and oscars in florida. they were not introduced as game fish on purpose. the pleasure of stepping on a south american stingray in a freshwater enviornment in my landlocked state does not rank high on my list of "fun things to do."

i will admit the beauty of the stingray pictured is tempting enough for me at least look into the possibilty of ownership.

hmmm..i always wanted to have a zebra pleco
maybe i still can find it in cyprus
i will check it out if i can find it and if i do i really would like to know the price of it

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I know human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully.

The ban is one placed by Brazil barely a month ago. They can't even export these fish now. Heck, some Brazilians were busted just for having some Pearl Rays in holding tanks.

Last edited by Shinigami at 28-Sep-2004 19:24

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Great choices! The rays have always fascinated me, but it'll be a while before I ever keep one as a pet.