![[BlueTrend Mini Classroom] Garden Eels and Clownfish Are So Cute! Don't Let Your Desire to Watch Them Turn You Into an Ignorant Killer — Part 1](/_images/81a12b0f14c5-1440w.webp)
The Editor says: In recent years, scuba diving has grown increasingly popular — not only can you enjoy the weightlessness of inner space, but you can also observe all kinds of marine life up close. Yet from time to time, we come across species that don't belong in local waters: garden eels, Clownfish, and other ornamental aquarium species that have clearly been released. In this article, we take a serious look at the issue and invite Wox, author of Marine Natural History, to share how to avoid becoming an ignorant fish-releaser! (Full text reprinted from Wox's Facebook)
Photo source: Underwater Species Identification Group, photography by Xu Qingtang (not the person who released the animal)
This weekend, quite a few people sent me photos of this garden eel — and I'm 87% certain it was released from an aquarium. The Northeast Coast is not the primary habitat of the spotted garden eel (Heteroconger hassi). In Taiwan, most spotted garden eels are found in the warmer, coarser-grained sandy coral bottoms of the south, and they are typically seen in areas with stronger tidal flow.
The Longdong area where this individual was found has a predominantly muddy-sandy bottom, which is unsuitable for this species, and the sheltered bay environment doesn't match their natural habitat background. Garden eels are mostly colonial and rarely live alone. Combined with the fact that rocks were arranged in a circle around it as a marker, the probability that this was a deliberate release is extremely high. Under such unnatural conditions… it likely won't survive!!
Don't Release Aquarium Fish Into Taiwan's Ocean
Many areas along the Northeast Coast already have a history of tropical fish releases. People have previously photographed species in Longdong that belong in Southeast Asia — such as the spinecheek anemonefish — as well as an Pomacanthus navarchus from Indonesia and even a damselfish from the Indian Ocean. Chaoching (Tide) Park was also once hit with a batch of released Clownfish (Nemo) and carpet sea anemones — all of which died within a single day, unable to withstand the cold waters of the Northeast Coast. We urge everyone once again: do not release aquarium fish into Taiwan's ocean!
You don't know whether they'll become the next terrifying non-native species. You don't know whether they're carrying foreign pathogens.
Photo by Zheng Wei Lim on Unsplash
Yes… just like freshwater fish, marine fish should not be casually released either. Your good intentions could become a death sentence for them.
Clownfish Need to Be Raised Near Sea Anemones from a Young Age
For example, many places have recently been hosting Clownfish (Clownfish (Nemo)) release events. But what some people may not know is that Clownfish need to be exposed to sea anemone tentacles from a young age — that contact stimulates the growth of a protective mucus layer that shields them from the anemone's sting. However, many captive-bred Clownfish have never had the chance to encounter a sea anemone; they grow up eating only fish pellets. When these pampered little fish are released into the wild, they cannot adapt to the competition, cannot seek refuge inside a sea anemone (entering one would simply make them a snack), and ultimately die — every single one of them.
Clownfish and sea anemones aren't interchangeable either — many Clownfish species are highly host-specific. For instance, the ocellaris clownfish commonly found along the Northeast Coast can adapt to a wide range of sea anemone species, while the red clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus) mostly uses the bubble-tip sea anemone (nicknamed "pacifier" anemone), and the Clownfish (Nemo) — the percula-type clownfish — uses only large sea anemones in the family Stichodactylidae. Not just any sea anemone will do!
Furthermore, aside from the ocellaris clownfish, which has strong enough resilience to tolerate the cold water masses of the Northeast Coast, most Clownfish are tropical coral reef species. In October last year (2020), someone released a batch of Clownfish (Nemo) at Chaoching (Tide) Park, and by the following day every single one had died from cold water shock. That's nothing short of killing them outright.
These examples are meant to remind everyone: please don't casually release marine fish into the ocean. Even if you're releasing native species, you should do your homework first rather than simply tossing them into the sea — that's no different from those monks whose "release-life" ceremonies amount to releasing animals to their deaths. If you genuinely want to see these creatures, learning to scuba dive and observing them in their natural environment is a far better choice!
Please take good care of our ocean — start by learning about marine life and truly understanding it. Thank you all!
Cover photo: Photo by Maksim Shutov on Unsplash
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