First fish of the Aquariam trade

animal_expert01

animal_expert01

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Anybody have any idea of the top ten first tropical fish kept in the Aquariam trade? I know paradise were one of the first so at the moment I'll but them at number one. Thanks in advance!
Current list:
1.Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) (First imported to Europe 1865)
 
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lowland anoa said:
Oh, then it depends on how many volumes your aquarium can withstand.
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Sorry I don't think you get the meaning of this thread is is not about beginner fish it is about the first tropical fish ever kept in captivity sorry if I mad that hard to understand.
 
lowland anoa said:
What? Some fishes have different tank volumes requirements. If I knew your tank volume, I'll give you a list.
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Yeah I am not asking about beginner fish I am asking about what the first ever fish to be kept in tropical Aquariums where sorry if I made that not very clear.
 
It's an easy question to ask - but not an easy one to answer. Several books record the dates of the first importation for each species (usually into Germany). I have an old copy of Gunther Sterba's Süsswasserfische aus Alle Welt (1959) in translation, which does so, plus the first 3 volumes of Baensch's Atlas. However it would be quite a task to go through all the species to find the earliest dates :(
I wonder if there is a database of species which includes this information: that would make it easy to sort and select the data you want. Unfortunately Fishbase does not do so.

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
It's an easy question to ask - but not an easy one to answer. Several books record the dates of the first importation for each species (usually into Germany). I have an old copy of Gunther Sterba's Süsswasserfische aus Alle Welt (1959) in translation, which does so, plus the first 3 volumes of Baensch's Atlas. However it would be quite a task to go through all the species to find the earliest dates :(
I wonder if there is a database of species which includes this information: that would make it easy to sort and select the data you want. Unfortunately Fishbase does not do so.

Alan
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Yes I have tried to find the answear for ages so hopefully when this thread is completed this will be a quick refrence guide for those who are also finding the answer.
Here is the new list:

1. Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) First imported to France 1869 by Pierre Carbonnier

2. Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) First imported to France in 1896 (or 1874) by Pierre Carbonnier (was imported with the first Dwarf Gourami)

2. Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) First imported to France in 1896 (or 1874) by Pierre Carbonnier (was imported with the first Siamese fighting fish)

3. Banded Gourami (Trichogaster fasciata) First imported to Germany by Paul Matte in 1897

4. Zebra daino (Daino rerio) First imported to Germany in 1905 by Paul Matte

5. Black widow tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) First imported to Germany 1933
 
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If you think about this question you can begin to formulate an approach to the answers. The species that could have been imported successfully would probably be native to areas near major sea ports, robust enough to survive an ocean journey in a steam ship and tolerant of a wide range of temperatures.
The paradise fish certainly fulfils those criteria. So do species from the area of Montevideo, including the chanchito, Australoheros facetus, imported to Germany in 1894 and the peppered catfish, Corydoras paleatus, imported into Germany in 1893, but apparently earlier into France as it was bred by Carbonnier in Paris in 1878 (I would like to find out more about this).
Other examples include the rice fish Oryzias latipes imported into Hamburg in 1899, from China or Japan (perhaps from Shanghai or Yokohama). Likewise the Nile puffer Tetraodon fahaka and the Egyptian mouthbrooder Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor were both imported in 1902, probably through Alexandria.

Alan
 
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Nice find Rob!
The only tropicals I can see on the list, which refers to species kept in 1866, are the African lungfish Protopterus annectens, 3 purchased in 1865, and the electric eel Electrophorus electricus, both notably resilient and widely distributed species which can breathe atmospheric air - the lungfish could even have been imported in their mud cocoons during aestivation. Sterba & Baensch give the importation dates as 1910 for the lungfish and 1913 for the electric eel, but I suppose that those will be commercial importations into Germany.

Alan
 
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gentle lemur said:
If you think about this question you can begin to formulate an approach to the answers. The species that could have been imported successfully would probably be native to areas near major sea ports, robust enough to survive an ocean journey in a steam ship and tolerant of a wide range of temperatures.
The paradise fish certainly fulfils those criteria. So do species from the area of Montevideo, including the chanchito, Australoheros facetus, imported to Germany in 1894 and the peppered catfish, Corydoras paleatus, imported into Germany in 1893, but apparently earlier into France as it was bred by Carbonnier in Paris in 1878 (I would like to find out more about this).
Other examples include the rice fish Oryzias latipes imported into Hamburg in 1899, from China or Japan (perhaps from Shanghai or Yokohama). Likewise the Nile puffer Tetraodon fahaka and the Egyptian mouthbrooder Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor were both imported in 1902, probably through Alexandria.

Alan
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Thanks Alan I shall add those species to the list.
 
animal_expert01 said:
Here is the new list:

1. Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) First imported to France 1869 by Pierre Carbonnier

2. Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) First imported to France in 1896 (or 1874) by Pierre Carbonnier (was imported with the first Dwarf Gourami)

2. Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) First imported to France in 1896 (or 1874) by Pierre Carbonnier (was imported with the first Siamese fighting fish)

3. Banded Gourami (Trichogaster fasciata) First imported to Germany by Paul Matte in 1897
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4. Peppered corydora (Corydoras paleatus) imported into Germany in 1893 (or 1878)

5. Chanchito chiclid (Australoheros facetus) imported to Germany in 1894

6. Rice fish (Oryzias latipes) imported into Hamburg in 1899

7. Nile puffer (Tetraodon fahaka) imported in 1902

8. Egyptian mouthbrooder (Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor) wasimported in 1902

9. Zebra daino (Daino rerio) First imported to Germany in 1905 by Paul
Matte

10. Black widow tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) First imported to Germany 1933

If anybody knows any earlier fish, exact dates or for some fish in the same year which one actully came first would be greatly appreciated:D Thanks everyone!
 
animal_expert01 said:
1. Montezuma Swordtail (Xiphophorus Montezumae) was first imported to Europe in 1864

2. Paradise fish (Macropodus Opercularis) Forst imported to France by Perrie Carbonnier in 1869

3. Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) First imported to France by Perrie Carbonnier with the first Dwarf gourami in 1896

4. Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) First imported to France by Perrie Crbonnier with the first Siamese fighting fish in 1896

5. Peppered corydora (Corydoras paleatus) imported into Germany in 1893

6. Chanchito chiclid (Australoheros facetus) imported to Germany in 1894

7. Rice fish (Oryzias latipes) imported into Hamburg in 1899

8. Nile puffer (Tetraodon fahaka) imported in 1902

9. Egyptian mouthbrooder (Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor) was imported in 1902

10. Zebra daino (Daino rerio) First imported to Germany in 1905 by Paul
Matte

11. Green swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) First imported in 1909

12. Black widow tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) First imported to Germany 1933
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The official list!
 
1. Montezuma Swordtail (Xiphophorus Montezumae) was first imported to Europe in 1864

2. Paradise fish (Macropodus Opercularis) was first imported to France by Perrie Carbonnier in 1869

3. Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) was first mported to France by Perrie Carbonnier with the first Dwarf gourami in 1896

4. Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) was first imported to France by Perrie Carbonnier with the first Siamese fighting fish in 1896

5. Peppered corydora (Corydoras paleatus) imported into France by Perrie Carbonnier in 1878

6. Chanchito chiclid (Australoheros facetus) imported to Germany in 1894

7. Rice fish (Oryzias latipes) imported into Hamburg, Germany in 1899

8. Nile puffer (Tetraodon fahaka) imported in 1902

9. Egyptian mouthbrooder (Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor) was imported in 1902

10. Zebra daino (Daino rerio) was first imported to Germany in 1905 by Paul Matte

11. Green swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) was first imported in 1909

12. Black widow tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) First imported to Germany 1933

13. Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) was first imported by Auguste Rabaut from Iquitos, Peru into Paris, France in 1935
 
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