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My friend Matt Pedersen just put out a great piece on Reef Builders about the limited release of captive bred Mandarins from renowned breeder Karen Brittain. He referenced my rant from a few months back about the ORA Mandarins falling out of production, which spurred some more thoughts about this topic.
Come back..Please..
Matt focused on the fact that this is a very limited release, largely because Karen is selling old fish to make room for new fishes to work with, not as the start of a new selection of captive-bred Mandarins en masse. However, it made me think of the larger market potential for captive-bred fishes in general. Sadly, it appears that many budding fish breeders with mad skills are still feeling put off and discouraged, because of the perception that the hobby at large would rather pay a cheap price for wild caught fishes that “hopefully” will adapt to a captive life makes offering captive-bred fishes at competitive prices economically non-viable.
Matt beautifully sums up the challenge to the hobby with this statement:
“Maybe Karen, or some other breeder, will see these fish sell fast and be inspired to bring back a steady supply of captive-bred Mandarins. If that happens, the question will be whether*we’re collectively*aware enough to vote with our wallets when given a 2nd chance to make our choices?*Will we collectively keep buying the four $25 wild-collected and often emaciated Mandarins*in the hopes of finding*one that lives?*Or will we finally*spend some honest, conscientious*money*on a captive-bred Mandarin that already eats prepared foods? And when we finally get that fish home, will we put it in an aquarium with an appropriate environment, agreeable tankmates, and a proactive husbandry routine, realizing that captive breeding didn’t turn Mandarins into bullet-proof Damselfish?”
I’ve hit on this before, but it’s worth mentioning again- Why do we happily shell out big bucks for propagated corals almost without reflection, but the thought of grabbing a healthy, dependable captive-bred fish for three times the price of a wild-caught specimen of dubious origin is too much to bear? I mean, it just seems kind of inconsistent. I’ve tried to wrap my head around it many times, finally arriving at the conclusion that the same people who will pay big money for captive-propagated and (gulp) “LE” frags might be the same folks who will buy captive-bred fishes…It’s totally an assumption on my part, but it’s the only logical conclusion I can draw.
"I'm more expensive. But I'm worth it."
So what that means is that there is a limited market for expensive stuff, right?
Okay, practical economics aside, I have a hard time believing that most hobbyists wouldn’t do their best to support captive-bred fishes being offered more extensively in the marketplace, with the understanding that they are going to pay more for a significantly different product.
My vision for the captive-bred marine ornamentals market for the near future, with the exception of mass-produced Clownfishes, is similar to the craft-brewed beer market: Emphasis on quality and variety, not large-scale production. With a viable “craft-breeding” market, we’d see a greater number of species being introduced by a larger pool of breeders, for the benefit of everyone. Maybe we will see analogous market growth patterns to the beer industry. Remember when the president of Sam Adams used to say in the commercials that, “The big breweries produce more in a day than I do all year…”? And look what’s happened to that company.
It worked for beer...Why not for fishes?
Matt further lamented ( and echoed my sentiments) about the hobby’s perception about captive-bred fishes being possible limiting factor in success of such ventures. I mean, in the case of fishes like Mandarins, they’re never going to be “easy” fishes, at least for a while. They will require an environment that makes them feel comfortable, and still may eat live foods for a large percentage of their diet. They are not going to give up millions of years of evolutionary habits in one generation and just start chowing down on Tetra Min from day one- that needs to be understood.
As a business owner who’s company ethics are reflected in our core values (conscientious, sustainable, responsible), I am always thinking about the potential to create a viable market for captive-bred offerings. I challenge my friends in the breeding game to produce more than just Clownfishes.
"Too much" is never enough...
I’ll put it in writing right now:
I would love to offer all sorts of captive-bred gobies, blennies, etc. as alternatives to wild-caught fishes. I’ll do my best to market the heck out of them. I’ll charge an appropriate price to help sustain these efforts, and provide a point of differentiation and value for the cost. Further, I’d encourage my colleagues and fellow vendors to support these efforts as well.
Would you, as hobbyists support a viable boutique market for captive-bred fishes, even if they cost more than their wild-collected counterparts? Or is the thought of paying $40 for a fish you could get from wild-collected sources for $16.00 just too much? I’m not trying to pander here, either- I’m really curious.
I’d like to hear about your opinions and thoughts on this matter. It’s not that esoteric- it’s of profound importance for the future of this hobby. If we can get a greater understanding of what the hobby consumers want, and how they perceive the value of such endeavors, we may be able to provide valuable feedback for prospective breeders who are willing to put the work in to make this a reality.
Have at it!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
Come back..Please..
Matt focused on the fact that this is a very limited release, largely because Karen is selling old fish to make room for new fishes to work with, not as the start of a new selection of captive-bred Mandarins en masse. However, it made me think of the larger market potential for captive-bred fishes in general. Sadly, it appears that many budding fish breeders with mad skills are still feeling put off and discouraged, because of the perception that the hobby at large would rather pay a cheap price for wild caught fishes that “hopefully” will adapt to a captive life makes offering captive-bred fishes at competitive prices economically non-viable.
Matt beautifully sums up the challenge to the hobby with this statement:
“Maybe Karen, or some other breeder, will see these fish sell fast and be inspired to bring back a steady supply of captive-bred Mandarins. If that happens, the question will be whether*we’re collectively*aware enough to vote with our wallets when given a 2nd chance to make our choices?*Will we collectively keep buying the four $25 wild-collected and often emaciated Mandarins*in the hopes of finding*one that lives?*Or will we finally*spend some honest, conscientious*money*on a captive-bred Mandarin that already eats prepared foods? And when we finally get that fish home, will we put it in an aquarium with an appropriate environment, agreeable tankmates, and a proactive husbandry routine, realizing that captive breeding didn’t turn Mandarins into bullet-proof Damselfish?”
I’ve hit on this before, but it’s worth mentioning again- Why do we happily shell out big bucks for propagated corals almost without reflection, but the thought of grabbing a healthy, dependable captive-bred fish for three times the price of a wild-caught specimen of dubious origin is too much to bear? I mean, it just seems kind of inconsistent. I’ve tried to wrap my head around it many times, finally arriving at the conclusion that the same people who will pay big money for captive-propagated and (gulp) “LE” frags might be the same folks who will buy captive-bred fishes…It’s totally an assumption on my part, but it’s the only logical conclusion I can draw.
"I'm more expensive. But I'm worth it."
So what that means is that there is a limited market for expensive stuff, right?
Okay, practical economics aside, I have a hard time believing that most hobbyists wouldn’t do their best to support captive-bred fishes being offered more extensively in the marketplace, with the understanding that they are going to pay more for a significantly different product.
My vision for the captive-bred marine ornamentals market for the near future, with the exception of mass-produced Clownfishes, is similar to the craft-brewed beer market: Emphasis on quality and variety, not large-scale production. With a viable “craft-breeding” market, we’d see a greater number of species being introduced by a larger pool of breeders, for the benefit of everyone. Maybe we will see analogous market growth patterns to the beer industry. Remember when the president of Sam Adams used to say in the commercials that, “The big breweries produce more in a day than I do all year…”? And look what’s happened to that company.
It worked for beer...Why not for fishes?
Matt further lamented ( and echoed my sentiments) about the hobby’s perception about captive-bred fishes being possible limiting factor in success of such ventures. I mean, in the case of fishes like Mandarins, they’re never going to be “easy” fishes, at least for a while. They will require an environment that makes them feel comfortable, and still may eat live foods for a large percentage of their diet. They are not going to give up millions of years of evolutionary habits in one generation and just start chowing down on Tetra Min from day one- that needs to be understood.
As a business owner who’s company ethics are reflected in our core values (conscientious, sustainable, responsible), I am always thinking about the potential to create a viable market for captive-bred offerings. I challenge my friends in the breeding game to produce more than just Clownfishes.
"Too much" is never enough...
I’ll put it in writing right now:
I would love to offer all sorts of captive-bred gobies, blennies, etc. as alternatives to wild-caught fishes. I’ll do my best to market the heck out of them. I’ll charge an appropriate price to help sustain these efforts, and provide a point of differentiation and value for the cost. Further, I’d encourage my colleagues and fellow vendors to support these efforts as well.
Would you, as hobbyists support a viable boutique market for captive-bred fishes, even if they cost more than their wild-collected counterparts? Or is the thought of paying $40 for a fish you could get from wild-collected sources for $16.00 just too much? I’m not trying to pander here, either- I’m really curious.
I’d like to hear about your opinions and thoughts on this matter. It’s not that esoteric- it’s of profound importance for the future of this hobby. If we can get a greater understanding of what the hobby consumers want, and how they perceive the value of such endeavors, we may be able to provide valuable feedback for prospective breeders who are willing to put the work in to make this a reality.
Have at it!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
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The extra dosh to buy one that had an appetite for easy meals is well worth it!!! 
