What's the current market price for a Zebrasoma rostratum (Black Tang)?
- Thread starter Johnny C
- Start date
Kahuna Tuna
Active member
+1 Its crap like this that is going to be the end of this hobby as we know it.
Quite possibly the worst "advice" I have ever seen on this board. If anything is ever going to change things for the better in this hobby its going to be the hobbiests that do it, the wholesale/collection industry is a joke in this regard.
I would agree with copps that the price a Black Tang is going for in the UK is more than that in the US. In the fall one LFS had 4 (!!) in stock going for £350, approximately $560 US at the current exchange. I didn't know the medium size was so desirable, and all individuals I saw were between 3-4". I asked about them only to find out they were all ordered by the same person! To date, I've never seen a Gem Tang in the UK and haven't a clue of the asking price.
The Gem Tangs rareity is that it cannot be harvested in South African Waters - A guy i know recently sold his for R3500 which is about $470 dollars - They can be found in Durban and i know of a few guys who have 4 or more. I guess its ur location that makes a fish rare and for us in South Africa we also got the Kingi Angel which is also pretty rare in the trade. We have thousands of convict tangs in our rock pools but i heard a guy say that in Hawaai you would get a $1000 fine for catching any under a certain size!
cortez marine
In Memoriam
Huh?
The joke is that hobbyists choose and tolerate illegal cyanide fish as a matter of fact.
They put their money on it 9 times out of ten.
The notion of driving change thru the consumer masses is the biggest joke of all.
All the training and reform pressure in the Philippines came from within the trade.
Nothing but tokenism and demand for cheap and cheaper fish came from the hobby sector.
Steve
Steve
boozeman
Member
I dont know why, but this fish is rarely exported in a medium size. When I got mine it was tiny about 2'' and I paid $350. for it. The importer I got it from also had large ones about the size of desert plates for $450. The Adults develop an iridecent bar along the dorsal fin that is quite striking against the jet black body. In a year it has quickly grown to a very healthy 4''-5'' and eats like a pig ! I'm sure that if you price yours at $400 it should sell quickly and at about fair market price.
Here are a few progression shots of mine from when I first got him, to today... It is hands down my favorite fish !
Here are a few progression shots of mine from when I first got him, to today... It is hands down my favorite fish !
cortez marine
In Memoriam
Congrats on raising it to such good size and health!
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Blitzburggirl
Member
I dont know why, but this fish is rarely exported in a medium size. When I got mine it was tiny about 2'' and I paid $350. for it. The importer I got it from also had large ones about the size of desert plates for $450. The Adults develop an iridecent bar along the dorsal fin that is quite striking against the jet black body. In a year it has quickly grown to a very healthy 4''-5'' and eats like a pig ! I'm sure that if you price yours at $400 it should sell quickly and at about fair market price.
Here are a few progression shots of mine from when I first got him, to today... It is hands down my favorite fish !
OMG and a red haddoni tooooooooooooooo --- so freakin jealous.
reefergeorge
New member
My lfs had one a few months ago that size, and it was $499.
edit:: LOL, I didn't relize it was three pages..
edit:: LOL, I didn't relize it was three pages..
I know this post is old, but some people are just suckers. So if you buy the fish "illegally", for $500 (gem tang), then it's bad, but if you pay someone $2000 legally, it's OK? What is legal or not in this hobby is open to interpretation. As far as I'm concerned, I should be locked up cause I have a mini-ocean in my house and I didn't pay anybody too much money for it. Who is to say that owning a gem tang for $5 is illegal? NOBODY!!! But if you wanna feel "legal" about it, you can give me $5000 and I can get you the most legal gem tang in the world! I take Paypal.
"The beauty is in the eye of the beholder". That is true, but the rarity and the price of the black tang, for example, distort the vision of beauty. If all black tangs were as common as the yellow tang, then all yellow tangs would be worth $500 if they were as rare as the black tangs are now. It's what you can't have that you love the most.
"The beauty is in the eye of the beholder". That is true, but the rarity and the price of the black tang, for example, distort the vision of beauty. If all black tangs were as common as the yellow tang, then all yellow tangs would be worth $500 if they were as rare as the black tangs are now. It's what you can't have that you love the most.
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I remember when I saw my first black tang almost 20 years ago. It was in the LFS's words a mutated yellow or really dark Scopas either way they said you want it take it for 30 bucks. I didn't want it but my stepfather picked it up and it lived in his tank for around 12 years. Such a nice fish and would love to have one myself.
skibum9884
Active member
I think the issue of legality stems from having the appropriate CITES and permits to collect and import into the market where you live. Also, as certain locals are becoming less open to having collectors come in and take fish from their waters to be exported for the marine trade, I don't think it's unreasonable to charge a good deal of money for these permits. It's simple supply and demand, and the more they charge, the less fish will be taken.
Additionally, many of these rare fish (not so sure if Black or Gem Tangs are included in this category) are found in areas that are difficult and/or expensive to access and sometimes at depths that are very dangerous for the diver.
Personally, I think it's perfectly acceptable for these "rare" fish to cost upwards of $500-1K. When you think about it, someone is diving to great depths, at their own risk, to collect a fish somewhere in the middle of the ocean and then is being shipped and imported into the US (or other country) generally via overnight shipping. I think that's pretty incredible.....
Lastly, no one said you had to have a Black Tang, or a Gem, or that deepwater Butterfly. If you're put off by the price, don't buy it, someone else will.
skibum9884
Active member
Oh yea, and what is legal vs. not legal is not open to interpretation. It's pretty black and white. Simply paying someone a lot of money doesn't make it legal........
There is a lot of illegal stuff in this hobby though, which is my eyes isn't good for anyone. I'd love to have a resplendant angel, but it's not going to happen.
There is a lot of illegal stuff in this hobby though, which is my eyes isn't good for anyone. I'd love to have a resplendant angel, but it's not going to happen.
