Banggai Rescue Page

I have been following the project, but have my doubts about how endangered Bangaii really are.

The two reasons for doubt is that they are actually an invasive species in the Lembah straight where a local collector released them so he wouldnt have to travel so far to collect them. Since then the population has exploded and they are crowding clownfish out of anemones.

The second reason is that Quality Marine recently imported over 6000 captive bred Bangaiis from China. Considering each pair only produces an average of 15 young a month, they must have a ton of broodstock

 

Hey, Guys. I am a member of the Banggai project team, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. While we are certainly looking at the Banggai's status in terms of the IUCN Red List listing as endangered, a bigger part of the project's Indonesian expedition to the Banggai Islands is to try to better understand the virus that, since at least 2003, has contributed to significant mortality in BCF imported to various countries for the marine aquarium trade. Regarding introduced/invasive populations, I can report the team has seen numerous introduced populations of Banggai cardinafish outside of its endemic range in Indonesia, but we need to keep in mind a host of issues such as how those fish got there, what their genetic makeup is and what vectors may exist to push the virus back to wild populations. These are, obviously, exceedingly complex issues that need more attention and transparency for the sake of the species, as well as for the sake of a robust and sustainable marine aquarium trade.

 

Thanks! We're far from finished, but I'm excited we can add something meaningful to the dialog about this species and some larger trade-wide issues which need to be addressed. -Ret

 

i think the banggai panda type are cool also