Rhizotrochus: why so expensive?

[Rovert]

Is it because they're the latest "fashion" coral, and resellers are makig the most out of textbook supply/demand, or are there real, practical reasons, like rarity, difficulty in collection, or some other reason? I saw an orange one recently, but the price started giving me chest pains.

 

[musty baby]

How often do you see them? They're hard to find, and relatively new to the scene.

 

[TacoKing]

Actually, there's a VERY good reason for these to be this expensive. These corals orginate around Austrialia. Australia has very limited (basically no coral exports to the US). These corals are often exported to the philippines with special CITIES permits. Once in the philippines they are rexported under a different CITIES permit to the US. So... Let's figure in some costs here. Air cargo from AUS to philippines is around $6 per kg. That shipment is going to require permits as well. Once in the philippines these corals get exported to LAX or other places.. Requres CITIES permit again and fuel charges are aroud 6-7 per kg from there to LAX...

So, your little coral has now just basically trippled in price before it even hits LAX.

 

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9652256#post9652256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TacoKing
Actually, there's a VERY good reason for these to be this expensive. These corals orginate around Austrialia. Australia has very limited (basically no coral exports to the US). These corals are often exported to the philippines with special CITIES permits. Once in the philippines they are rexported under a different CITIES permit to the US. So... Let's figure in some costs here. Air cargo from AUS to philippines is around $6 per kg. That shipment is going to require permits as well. Once in the philippines these corals get exported to LAX or other places.. Requres CITIES permit again and fuel charges are aroud 6-7 per kg from there to LAX...

So, your little coral has now just basically trippled in price before it even hits LAX.

6 - 7 dollars per kilo from PI to US, WOW, where do you get your prices from? It's more then half that from PI to the US

There are zero coral exports from PI to the US. It would take an act of their Congress to pass such legislation as it is against PI law to export any coral.

There are AU CITES shipments, they basicly started this year, but no Rhizo's are being shipped legally.

If you check CITES, you'll find no entry for Rhizos', hence their hefty price tag

 

[ViPeR_930]

Gresham, so would we assume rhizos are being smuggled, or are they available elseware other than AU?

 

[Rovert]

If you check CITES, you'll find no entry for Rhizos', hence their hefty price tag

I think we just stumbled on the price disparagy.

 

[GreshamH]

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/lists/cites/pubs/cites.pdf

This document shows Rhizo's as being listed under CITES appendix II, but when you search the below document (trade quotas) you find no references to Rhizo's being on any countries CITES export list.

http://www.cites.org/common/quotas/2007/ExportQuotas2007.pdf

the odd thing is, Indo doesn't seem to have a listing in the PDF for coral and I know that's not true.

Rhizo's are reported from PI down to AU, so there's a broad area they can be found. I suspect they'd be shipped from Indo myself.

 

[thecichlidpleco]

Anyone have a pic of one, I have never heard of or seen one.

 

[GreshamH]

That is one I found on a Singapore reef site

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45814&st=0

and here's one from a RC member, neyugn0w01

 

[thecichlidpleco]

Ooohh AAwww, I can see the appeal.

 

[cristhiam]

nice! kind of looks like a dendro

 

[GreshamH]

Exactly They're like a giant solitary dendro

 

[ViPeR_930]

And mine...

 

[cristhiam]

wow how big are these?

 

[ViPeR_930]

Including the tentacles, mine is 6" wide.

 

[cristhiam]

beautiful

 

[thecichlidpleco]

So where can I get some of these illegal corals? Where is this black market?

 

[triggerfreak]

Roe's marine world has a bunch for sale.

 

[GreshamH]

To be clear, I said they are no legal shipments coming from Australia and I can not find any listing for them on any export CITES quota that I can find. That is not to say they are illegal or people that are selling them are selling illegal corals and or smuggling them.

I have tried many times and ways to find the legal status on them, but I can not seem to get a clear answer from any angency I talk to.

 

[Sand_tubeworm]

Here another link of from a Singapore Reef Forum showing the orange, green & white Rhizos at a lfs display tank.


http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=56430