Bichir mania was huge in Japan a long time ago, and the big name breeders would compete for the "best" breeds.
They would also have a huge "Pride Of Japan" thing going on.
At the time there were 2 major countries that would breed Bichirs. Japan and Indonesia.
Then the Indo breeders were famous for mass breeding and knocking out as many fish as they possibly could, without a care for the quality.
In Japan it was the other way round, they were selective bred for high quality, that would bring in high bucks.
The Bichir craze was bigger in Japan than anywhere else in the world, even now the Bichir craze going on in US, Eu, Asia is nothing in comparison to the craze here in the 80's, 90's and 2000's.
So when a farm here would manage the "impossible" and breed or hybridise a rare fish, there is no way they would want another country to get hold of some Japanese pride, and clone it/claim it as theirs.
If I am correct there was also a little difficulty getting permits to import/export fish from Japan. (I guess this has changed now somewhat)
Now the Bichir scene here has been and gone, there a fewer Enthusiasts, and fewer top end suppliers and breeders and the pride thing among these breeders and suppliers has increased.
It's a pretty crazy way to do things, but then Japan often has a slightly out there way of life.
I have managed to get fish from places like Big-In for foreigners here on vacation, weather they managed to get them home was a 50/50 thing.
