Re: [Killietalk] give linneatus its proper name - and some more

[rscalf at jps_net]

>The only time I really see stores displaying
>scientific names is with the Cichlids and the catfish,
>and they somehow have managed to make it accepted -
>and popular.

Seems like that happens when the latin is easy to pronounce, euphonious, and used first before a common name is established. Many killie taxonomic names would never have a chance. 

There's a wonderful bird of the western US called the Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens). Beautiful name. Just rolls off the tongue. Can you imagine people in pet stores asking for Simpsonichthys papilliferus? On the other hand, Plecostomus sounds like a cool character out of Harry Potter.

>marketing problem, even in the past when I asked the
>occasional shop keeper about Killies, I always got two
>answers - very hard to keep, and very expensive. And
>in most cases neither is true.

I think the vast majority of aquarium keepers have community tanks. At least those interested in fish of this size. People want to see schools swimming back and forth, or else interesting shapes and behaviours. The concept of 'species tank' is probably not known to 90+% of all fish store customers.

A really disturbing trend is the relentless increase in reef tank popularity. A local store has converted half it's floor space to salt water tropicals, and only a tiny fraction of these species can be bred.

>So ideally I would think it best to always stick with
>scientific names and somehow rework the entire
>marketing of killifish.

You'd have to market an entirely different perspective on fish keeping to go along with it.

> most other fish
>keepers really do view killifish keepers as something
>different altogether. To them we may as well be
>keeping cows or something.

Only a minority people have the Natural History gene.

How many people do you know who enjoy gardening and flowers, don't care if a plant is Liliacaie or Amarylidaceae? If I drive through the Sierras and see a tree I can't identify, I stop the car at the nearest pullover, walk over and have a close look. Failure to do so would psychologically ruin the rest of my day. Not everyone is so neurotic!  And if I'm driving through Washington State, past a planted Douglas Fir monoculture, I find the experience something of a downer. My travel partner might say, 'How lovely, I love forests". 

           Rusty Scalf






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