NSFAchilles Tang Lover
- Thread starter dnsfpl
- Start date
venom550pm
Member
hmmm.... i didn't know they ate them, seems like a lot of work for a little meat.
dlp211
New member
Tang is eaten all over the Pacific Rim and Asian countries. I personally would love to have one of those fish in my tank, but I can't say I am outraged at a picture of them being ready to be sold/cooked.
There are many beautiful creatures on this planet that we eat, if you really have a problem with this, become a vegetarian, I on the other hand will continue to be an omnivore.
And while I do believe that over fishing can be a problem, I don't believe it is a problem in this instance since these photos are from Hawaii.
There are many beautiful creatures on this planet that we eat, if you really have a problem with this, become a vegetarian, I on the other hand will continue to be an omnivore.
And while I do believe that over fishing can be a problem, I don't believe it is a problem in this instance since these photos are from Hawaii.
Allmost
New member
u heard about all the bans Hawaii wants to put on fishery for aquarium industry ?
thts what my comment was about ... .
if your reefs are being destroyed, its not cause of the reefers taking fish and killing it in their tank.
its cause we eat them, just switch diet to lion fish
doesnt yellow tang have poison ?
Jeremy Blaze
Former Reef Addict
So, that explains why the cost has gone up so much!
Ostara
Keep Calm and Reef On
Yup, that's what I've heard too. I've read in a few different places that the cost of Achilles tangs has gone up because of a decline in population. Apparently the large breeding-size adults are being over-fished for food. I recall seeing (somewhere on RC, I think) that many Achilles live outside of the protected areas and, because they are not on the list of protected species, are fair game.
Another reason the aquarium ban business bothers me... how about keeping people from removing the reproducing adults from the population? :rolleye1:
reefergeorge
New member
Now I know what I'm doing with my sailfin when he gets too big. 
They have a limited range, and everyone knows they're a desired fish. Thus the high prices. Tangs of all sort have ALWAYS been collected for food, this is not new. It's not as if all of a sudden people here have decided to eat tangs.
This has nothing at all to do with any sort of aquarium trade ban, that has everything to do with ill informed, emotional people such as 'Snorkel Bob."
The only difference between collecting fish for food and collecting them for the aquarium trade is that, virtually all of the fish collected for food are utilized. Many of those collected for the aquarium trade die in transit, at the fish store, and due to ill educated aquarists.
I personally don't care what collected fish are used for, in fact selling them into the aquarium trade brings far more economic benefit to our state and I am all for it. But they do taste good, so lay off those of us who use tangs for purposes other than staring at them in your aquariums.
Reefing Newbie
New member
I see both sides, you are not going to ban what has been passed down through generations of people. It is a food source like other fish. The only thing that could maybe be done differently for both sides is limiting the collection of breeding adults. Then there is also the pure fact that taking the younger ones will lessen future breeding adults. There is no way to get around it other than eventually getting the majority of fish in the aquarium trade to be captive bred. There are some things I have to complain about there, but won't. Captive breeding tangs, triggers, etc... is going to take lots of work. From my limited knowledge on this, theses species aren't exactly spawning regularily.
I wouldn't say to ban commercial fishing for food or the aquarium trade. Food wise the fish aren't getting their natural diet and it makes them taste wierd, just compare it with salmon. Huge difference! For the aquarium trade(even if we are captive breeding everything or most everything in the future) is going to need fresh bloodlines. It is showing in clowns with their mouths(over/under bites, misbars, etc...) and numerous freshwater fish. Being able to keep this open is key, but putting some sort of limitation on endangered fish or fish with a limited range will help(like with the achilles, an idea is to meet certain criteria before an aquarist is able to order one).
I wouldn't say to ban commercial fishing for food or the aquarium trade. Food wise the fish aren't getting their natural diet and it makes them taste wierd, just compare it with salmon. Huge difference! For the aquarium trade(even if we are captive breeding everything or most everything in the future) is going to need fresh bloodlines. It is showing in clowns with their mouths(over/under bites, misbars, etc...) and numerous freshwater fish. Being able to keep this open is key, but putting some sort of limitation on endangered fish or fish with a limited range will help(like with the achilles, an idea is to meet certain criteria before an aquarist is able to order one).
geaux xman
New member
those show size achilles easily go for $3-400/each.
how do they catch them when sold as food vs catching them to sell live?
DD only puts up show size achilles maybe once every 3 weeks or so.
how do they catch them when sold as food vs catching them to sell live?
DD only puts up show size achilles maybe once every 3 weeks or so.
sporto0
New member
Your math is way off, there is more than $4,000 worth of retail sales there, however Hawaiins have probably been eating them for centuries, I'm quite sure one female Achilles lays thousands of eggs at a time, so a cooler full is just a drop in the bucket, it pains me for this is my favorite Aqaurium inhabitant but I could not house that many Tangs so I just hope they taste good.
Jeremy Blaze
Former Reef Addict
One mans Achillies tang is another mans Bluegill.
venom550pm
Member
i wonder how much they cost to eat....
sporto0
New member
Not many people buy "show" size fish to stock their tanks, especially since you have no idea how old they are & secondly if you paid $200 for a juvenile Achilles, you paid too much.
