GARIBALDI DAMSELS AVAILABLE (but, what the hell...)!

[epiphanus]

It's kind of a cool story, Reef Hot Spot has formed a partnership with a Mexican company to inport hard-to-get fish species (principally from the Sea of Cortez, I believe) into the U.S. What I don't like, though, is that they are doing the same thing with their garibaldis that others have done with Catalina gobies, which is market them as tropical marines. You'll see (if you check out the link below) that they imply in their species description of the garibaldi that it'll thrive in temperatures up to 80 degrees F! I think this is wrong and should be corrected. I intend to send a copy of this thread to Reef Hot Spot to ask them to amend the information on the species. I'm asking fellow RCers to back me up by adding any good info pertaining to the natural temperature range of this species (with sources if available), and adding any comments you may have. Thanks...

http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1887

 

[greenbean36191]

I think this is going to be a hard one to argue since you don't typically find cut-and-dry statements like "62 is the ideal temperature for this fish" in scientific literature. Based on the range reported in Fishbase though, the highest average temperature these guys will experience is about 66. That's not to say that they don't live in areas that will get up to 80 periodically throughout the year, but on average the water they come from is much cooler.

 

[epiphanus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13281539#post13281539 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greenbean36191
I think this is going to be a hard one to argue since you don't typically find cut-and-dry statements like "62 is the ideal temperature for this fish" in scientific literature. Based on the range reported in Fishbase though, the highest average temperature these guys will experience is about 66. That's not to say that they don't live in areas that will get up to 80 periodically throughout the year, but on average the water they come from is much cooler.

This study, conducted between 1992 and 2001, found average temperatures to be far below those given by this company as acceptable. In fact, the HIGHEST water temperature recorded during this time, ever, during the summer in relatively shallow water, was 22 degrees C (71.6 degrees F). See below...

www.catalinamarinesociety.com/CatalinaOceanTemperature.pdf+maximum+temperature+catalina&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us]http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:9ZRoBaPRqewJ:www.catalinamarinesociety.com/Catal...temperature+catalina&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us[/URL]

 

[greenbean36191]

This is only around Catalina island though. This is about the center of their distribution, so these should be roughly the ideal temperatures for them. To give a better idea of their upper limits you should look at the southern extent of their range which is a bit south of Guadalupe.

 

[epiphanus]

The highest temp range for this species that I've even seen by a credible source (that is, an expert aquarist and not someone selling stuff) is "below 75 degrees"-- and bear in mind that it is a maximum temp, not ideal temp.
Refer to Jay Hemdal, Advanced Marine Aquarium Techniques pg. 202.

 

[cortez marine]

They are from South of Ensenada...[ 60 miles South of Tijuana].
Not the Sea of Cortez.
The extent of their range is Magdalena Bay, a very cold place most of the year. Full wetsuits required as in 64 degrees F.
However, every summers end, it does get up to 72 degrees there briefly.
They are not collected for the aquarium trade officially in Mexico but are collected as alledged "by-catch" . This was the legal loophole for the allowance of their export legally.
So, they are legal.
Steve
PS.
In other words, ex-fishery employees can make anything work in Mexico ....if motivated.

 

[epiphanus]

here's a link to the article.



http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2008/4/prweb827174.htm