How Do You Know if a Fish is Really Wild Caught?

cchhcc

Feeder Fish
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May 31, 2006
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The ONLY way to know a fish is wild caught is if you see it come out of the river yourself.

Some fish are wild caught out of necessity, some because they're cheaper (bait fish) or won't breed in captivity.

Some are "wild caught" out of the desire to charge more or to garner some sort of reflected glory...

OP, YOU MAKE SOME GOOD POINTS! Be careful, though, you could be subjected to some personal attacks just for asking (if history is any indicator).
 

armac

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 22, 2005
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South Texas
cchhcc;3879359; said:
The ONLY way to know a fish is wild caught is if you see it come out of the river yourself.

Some fish are wild caught out of necessity, some because they're cheaper (bait fish) or won't breed in captivity.

Some are "wild caught" out of the desire to charge more or to garner some sort of reflected glory...

OP, YOU MAKE SOME GOOD POINTS! Be careful, though, you could be subjected to some personal attacks just for asking (if history is any indicator).

That cannot be true, we already have heard, wild caughts are cheaper, therefore less glorious.
 

armac

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 22, 2005
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bud;3879372; said:
Yes your right just a old dumb red neck sorry.hahaha

You are breeding your wild caughts with fh's though right?
 

armac

Feeder Fish
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Apr 22, 2005
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bud;3879387; said:
I am breeding a w/c to a flowerhorn correct.He's female is not here yet.Thanks for noticing that bro they should make some good fry for the flowerhorn market
he can be a wc jk buddragon, there you have a name for your new fish.
 

asm129

Gambusia
MFK Member
Dec 28, 2009
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Cafe Lu
zerojquan85;3878706; said:
WC is really based on how much experience you have with the various types of fish.... but understand that some of the rare fish... can only be caught in the wild...

Example.. wolf fish, payara, exotic peacock bass, exotic plecos, datnoids, Gars.. These are just a few examples of fish in the trade where its actually hard to breeding in a local aquarium.. and catching them in the wild is might more profitable..

As times go on... the more fish you come across you'll realize that certain fish are wild caught.. while others are farm breed.. It really just takes experience..
For some types of fish that are thought to be impossible to farm breed, I would tend to believe a seller who said it was WC.

But what about fish that can be captive bred and are still in the wild too? I saw some bichirs (ornates, palmas, etc.) being advertised as WC, but to me they look exactly the same as captive bred ones. (I'm guessing the ones that aren't advertised as WC are captive bred.)

Personally, I wouldn't pay more for any fish labeled as WC and priced higher than farm bred ones. It's too easy for a seller to lie about it and you pay extra for nothing.
 

armac

Feeder Fish
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Apr 22, 2005
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asm129;3879432; said:
For some types of fish that are thought to be impossible to farm breed, I would tend to believe a seller who said it was WC.

But what about fish that can be captive bred and are still in the wild too? I saw some bichirs (ornates, palmas, etc.) being advertised as WC, but to me they look exactly the same as captive bred ones. (I'm guessing the ones that aren't advertised as WC are captive bred.)

Personally, I wouldn't pay more for any fish labeled as WC and priced higher than farm bred ones. It's too easy for a seller to lie about it and you pay extra for nothing.
Smart thinking, a lot of the WC propaganda is to get you to spend your hard earned money.
 

flowerpower

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 10, 2007
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NY
With certain species it is possible to distinguish W/C from tank bred (to some extent). Wild A. labiatus have the lips for example. Furthermore, with some species wild specimens tend to have more developed teeth IME. With others, the teeth develop no matter what.
Overall however, it is close to impossible to tell them apart. A well maintained tank/ farm raised specimen can look many times better than a w/c specimen that has suffered from illness, sustained injuries or been handled roughly before or during import.
On the other hand a healthy wild specimen will, more times than not, put a tank raised specimen to shame. They are a product of natural selection and that is the bottom line.
In the end, I only buy wilds from sellers who are hobbyists first, have a true passion for the hobby, and are willing to engage in in-depth conversations about the fish they sell. Secondly, I try really hard to disregard the f status of the fish I'm looking to buy. If it has the right qualities (color, form, temperament and vigor), I BUY IT! Wild or not.
 
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