Ed's Aquatic Exotics LLC

08/06/2026

Hello friends! I will be updating my website this weekend with available fish for the fall season.

For more information , visit my website:
WWW.edsaquaticexotics.com

08/03/2026

Good morning , friends!

Antaeniobius toweri, Anteojitas, San Marcos, Mexico ESU:ATATO1

07/25/2026

A little clarification : Recently , an article was written about the reclassification of Characodons. In the article , the writer states the Characodon lateralis, Los Berros is extinct in the wild and is likely gone from the hobby. Respectfully , there is no data that substantiates this claim. What the data does show is that ALL Characodons are in fact derived from Characodon lateralis, El Toboso ( formerly known as C. audax, El Toboso.)

The interesting knowledge gained from this recent research is that it had been determined that the Lateralis found below the El Saltito waterfall are in fact two separate and undescribed species . Until these new species are fully described, these two will be known as Species 1 and Species 2.

Species 1: all fish under El Saltito in Los Berros region. (Notice they aren’t classified extinct )

Species 2: all fish under El Saltito in Amado Nervo region.

In order to maintain these two undedcribed species separate , collection points and ESU are necessary to prevent hybridization .

07/16/2026

SKIFFIA!

I am currently rearing juveniles of these species They will be available mid August.

Skiffia francesae , El Molino, Pond, Laguna Sayula Basin, Jalisco , Mexico ESU: Skifr2

Skiffia multipunctata, Tangancicuaro , Michoacán , Mexico ESU: Skimu1

07/10/2026

It’s good to see science making their opinions known in our industry As I have said for years , proper identification of wild-caught and critically endangered fish is paramount to conservation .

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18phYKYL1K/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A team of conservation biologists explore patterns in the freshwater ornamental fish market in Hong Kong, one of the largest aquarium trading hubs. Conducting weekly surveys over 3 months in Hong Kong’s primary aquarium shop district to document species diversity, conservation status, native origin and market value.

"Despite the lack of formal scientific descriptions, many of the potentially undescribed species are consistently recognized as distinct entities within the ornamental fish trade, where unique and stable trade names such as L-number serve as de facto species identities."

"We recommend that the scope of CITES should be expanded to include a broader range of threatened freshwater fishes, particularly threatened species that are sourced from wild populations, and exporters should be obliged to adopt an organized coding system that includes species name, source (wild-caught or captive-bred), source of collection and name of collector. Importers should be obliged to adopt mandatory origin labelling, requiring traders to disclose whether species are wild-caught or captive-bred."

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Species diversity, pricing trends and conservation concerns in a major ornamental fish hub

Open-access - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/species-diversity-pricing-trends-and-conservation-concerns-in-a-major-ornamental-fish-hub/A727B6FE4C85D5DDA4F4A5014F84CF47
Lead authors' post on study - https://www.instagram.com/p/DZbjeGvmXh4/

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Ho SCL, Chan JCF, Lee WH, Sung Y-H, Liew JH. Species diversity, pricing trends and conservation concerns in a major ornamental fish hub. Oryx. Published online 2026:1-10. doi:10.1017/S0030605325102354

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
The global ornamental fish trade presents significant challenges to the conservation of biodiversity.

In this study we explore patterns in the freshwater ornamental fish market in Hong Kong, one of the largest wildlife trading hubs. We conducted weekly surveys over a 3-month period in Hong Kong’s primary aquarium shop district to document species diversity, conservation status, native origin and market value. A total of 540 freshwater fish species of 73 families were recorded. We found that species occurrence in the market was largely price-driven, and minimum retail price was the strongest predictor of how frequently we encountered a species in our surveys.

We assessed each species’ placement along the market occurrence–price gradient and found that potentially undescribed species dominated the expensive/rare end of the market, where the anthropogenic Allée effect (in which novelty/rarity exacerbates exploitation because of increased demand) may be influential. Alarmingly, 86 (16%) of the species in the market were potentially undescribed, and 38% of species in the market were either not evaluated or categorized as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List at the time of our surveys.

The significant proportion of unassessed and potentially undescribed species is of concern because of the potential for unsustainable exploitation prior to consideration of appropriate regulatory frameworks. Although our data suggest that cheaper, common species dominate the trade, the substantial presence of little-known species is of conservation concern, underscoring the need for more extensive monitoring.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Cover image for the study.

© 2026 the Author(s). Published in the journal Oryx. An open-access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0) deed. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

07/10/2026

One of the greatest honors I have received over the last five years in this fish room is that I have met some amazing people who share my passion for aquatic life I am proud to call you mentors , community , my friends . This will be my last season at this location . I am nervous , yet excited; for what the future holds for Ed’s Aquatic Exotics . But I have learned that when one door closes, another opens. And yes , I will share this experience as I transition with all of you. And for all my followers, I am forever grateful for your support .

07/08/2026

Hello, my friends ….

Temperatures are on the rise, it is officially summer. With the heat comes a higher risk of stress shipping goodeids.If you have placed an order, rest assured that I will get your fish to you asap. If you are planning to place an order this season, please understand that I cannot ship fish when the temps are over 90 degrees. My goal is to ship healthy goodeids to you in a safe and humane manner . As always, thank you for your support Ed

06/30/2026

Los biólogos de la Universidad Michoacana, es la de su cola anaranjada, un intenso tono que las hembras interpretan como señal de supervivencia, y que los machos mueven con arte en un cortejo que engaña a las hembras haciéndoles creer que han encontrado una larva de libélula. La escena es la de un proceso que comenzó en 2014, y que ahora, en 2021, permite hablar de "una población estable y que está colonizando otras partes del río". La postal del éxito es la de un esfuerzo internacional, que ha usado ejemplares conservados en zoológicos de Reino Unido y EE.UU., y que ha incluido la educación ambiental entre los "Guardianes del Río", que ahora monitorean y limpian las aguas. Esta no es una imagen de la extinción, sino de su reverso, un testimonio de cómo la cooperación científica y el compromiso local pueden devolver a la vida a una especie que habíamos perdido para siempre.

El artículo, que narra esta reintroducción, es un ejemplo de cómo la ciencia puede actuar como un puente hacia la esperanza. La causa de la desaparición del pez tequila fue la contaminación agrícola e industrial, la fragmentación de su hábitat por presas y balnearios, y la depredación por especies invasoras como la tilapia y la carpa. El impacto tangible es que, gracias a la reintroducción, el pez tequila vuelve a ser parte del ecosistema, y su éxito reproductivo dependerá de que las aguas se mantengan limpias. La reflexión ética, sin embargo, va más allá de la biología: nos muestra que la pérdida de una especie no es un destino inevitable, sino el resultado de nuestras acciones, y que podemos revertirla con esfuerzo y dedicación. La historia del pez tequila es también la de México, un país con el 70% de sus ríos contaminados, y una asignatura pendiente con la protección de su naturaleza, que alberga especies únicas como el ajolote, también en grave peligro.

La esperanza realista reside en que este éxito sirva de modelo para otras especies, y en que el nuevo tratado comercial (TMEC), que incluye compromisos ambientales, pueda ayudar a contener los problemas de contaminación. Pero el camino es largo y los desafíos, enormes. La pregunta que debe resonar es: si hemos logrado devolver a la vida al pez tequila, ¿por qué no podemos hacer lo mismo con el ajolote y con tantas otras especies que están al borde de la extinción? ¿Y qué podemos hacer, como sociedad, para que la contaminación no siga destruyendo lo que la ciencia se empeña en restaurar? Porque al final, el pez tequila es un símbolo de que la naturaleza es resiliente, y de que, cuando nos lo proponemos, podemos reparar parte del daño. Pero también es un recordatorio de que no podemos bajar la guardia, y de que cada especie salvada es una batalla ganada en una guerra que aún no hemos terminado.

06/29/2026

Hello friends! Updates on the website today. The last of the early season Characodons are out of stock. But don't worry, I am rearing juveniles right now. Characodon lateralis, Los Berros, and Characodon audax, Los Pinos will be available again this season! Go to my website and see what other great goodeids are available!

WWW.edsaquaticexotics.com