| This dissertation is principally a collection of articles that were published in refereed journals. They focus on aspects of the regulatory management, health, and education sectors of the ornamental fish trade. Regulatory management of the ornamental fish trade was examined through a study on the importation of ornamental fish into the United States. The purpose of this study was to review an existing database system, the Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS) and its utility for management. While many studies of higher class vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians) use the LEMIS database to evaluate trade impacts there was very little possibility of this same utility for ornamental fishes. This study did produce useful information on the magnitude of imports of ornamental fishes and corals. For example, the approximate number of individuals labeled as freshwater tropical fish (140 million) or marine aquarium tropical fish (12 million) that were imported in 2010. A survey of mortality in wild-caught Amazonian fishes was also conducted. Also an experiment was conducted monitoring the presence of injury in silver dollar fish Metynnis orinocensis that were wild-caught, wild-caught imported, and farmed. The mortality survey indicated mortalities ranging from as low as 1% to as high as 71%, with much of the mortality occurring within the 24 hour period post-shipment. Injury was also found in Metynnis orinocensis that were imported as part of the aquarium fish trade and pattern of injury was identified on their ventral keel. In addition, an article was published proposing Artemia as a live drug delivery system for sick fish. Artemia were found to uptake a therapeutic level of metronidazole when supplemented at the developmental life stage of instar 2, which is their second molt. A series of extension publications were prepared realizing the importance of public education in raising awareness of the responsibility of having fish as pets. |
