[Killietalk] New collections was N. steinforti

[Tony Terceira <terceira at ride_ri.net>]

At 08:21 AM 11/13/2004 -0500, you wrote:
> I have been really impressed with the many new and hard to find species of 
> Notho's and other killies that are often made available to the hobby. I am 
> disappointed though that there is rarely, if ever any of the established 
> species such as the many gardneri varieties that are ever made available. 
> Maybe not as a new specie but as wild collected fish that can be 
> reintroduced into the hobby to strengthen the blood lines that have been 
> established. I have become most interested in the gardneri species 
> available and am always in search of new fish or any wild or F1 fish that 
> would be made available. What are the chances of something like this 
> happening? Or is there a reason this does not happen? Have some of the 
> species become so common that there is not enough interest to make this a 
> future project.
> I hope not.


        This is a much debated topic an one of the reasons exactly what 
you wish does not happen, in my opinion, is costs.

        Unless there is a groups of dedicated people like Brian Watters 
and others who spend their own money and bring back wild fish to share and 
distribute, other sources must be used.   Calculating the real cost of fish 
brought back from collecting trips would only scare people away..... Thank 
goodness the enjoyment of collecting keeps them going, because there is no 
profit motive to recover those costs.

        Since I have imported a few killies over the years, let me share 
my opinion.  Everyone says they want new blood. but do they, or more 
importantly would they pay for them ????   Here is a simple 
scenario...................  A new import of wild  killie is available, 
because of the difficulty and distance involved the fish can be landed at a 
port of entry ( including Air Freight, Transshipping, Cost of certificates 
and cost of freight ) at $4 each .    Here are a few other "normal issues 
with this $4 landed fish  - minimum order 150 pieces (not pairs),   4 bags 
to the box,  4 box  minimum order.  Fish are guaranteed , but not the 
freight which would have to be paid again to reship the DOA.

        Just to cut this short, that's an expensive of $2000 for common 
killies, if you can find enough different ones to fill the order with 
killies,   you have to hold, separate, treat, and hopefully pair them 
up......each part has its own problems.  ....    With a good shipment you 
now offer the killies for sale Fundulopanchax gardneri nigerianus ...wild 
.............  at $22 a pair  which is very reasonable considering costs, 
losses, poor sex ratios  .... I do not believe the membership would pay 
those prices. and there would have to be enough members to pay for hundreds 
of pairs not 5. we are spoiled because we have access to fish at such low 
prices and many hobbyists collect and distribute .....................

        Occasionally there are good deals in the import world, but it is a 
good deal only if it is an item that people want and are willing to pay 
for...................I know everyone would love to see a new collection of 
wild Blue gularis................. a single box full could be 400 fish, 
with no guarantee as to sexes, packed in 4 bags................ my guess 
would be $28 a pair .....................   Is there a market for 150 - 200 
pair immediately upon import ??  I don't know ..............


        Thankfully some people are still taking risks with imports of wild 
killies from areas where it is possible to collect them....... But they 
only bring in what they think will sell at a reasonable price within a 
reasonable time.


the available Commercial import market is
Tony Terceira
Scituate, Rhode Island

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