Origin Of Fish-Keeping
Modern fish-keeping develop gradually from the basic need for food.Food were formerly the exclusive privilege of people living by the sea or rivers , as storing live fish was impractical. Keeping fish in captivity, therefore , became a rare luxury for inland dwellers.The first captive fishes are likely to have been members of carp family.Over the years, fish-keepers may have learned to recognize individuals and then become attached to their charges, and it is likely that an occasional genetic sport, or non-standard colored fish, would appear and draw greater attention.Such fish would be segregated and kept for their appearance rather than their meat, and so the fish-keeping hobby was born.
The Hobby Develops
It is though that the Ancient Egyptians were among the very first aquarists.Frescoes in their tombs indicate that fish were regarded by them as sacred.The Romans keep both freshwater and marine species in public aquariums, the former to sell as food, and then latter as decorative status symbols.But it was in China and Japan that fish-keeping really became a culture.In the Sung Dynasty (AD 970- 1279) , the keeping of red carp was a common practice and once regular exports of these fish arrived in Japan in the 1500s, their formal recognition and appreciation was established.The hobby reached Europe in the 17th century , and the Goldfish were introduced to America a century later.The first major public aquarium was erected in the Zoological Gardens of London, England in 1853.
Modern Fish-Keeping
The most realistic contribution that modern fish-keeper can make towards conservation is to observer the requirements and breeding of fish in their care and to write about what they have seen.With clear understanding, fishes could be bred in commercial quantities , leaving natural populations untouched .Indeed, many fresh-water fishes are already bred in captivity.However aquarist should be aware of the current reality of collecting fish.Cyanide , for example , may be used to capture coral reef fish, and transportation conditions can be unconscionably crowded.Further more, there is little sense buying fish that cannot adjust to aquarium living , especially certain marine fishes with specialized feeding habits.Many countries are now limiting, or even banning , certain aquarium exports until habitats and fish stocks have recovered.
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