July 25, 2016 — You can call it ‘Finding Dory’ effect, as a rise has been witnessed in the sales of Pacific blue tang since the movie has been released. Blue tangs can only be captured in the wild. As per experts, the methods used for the same are environmentally harmful.
For past many years, researchers have been tried to replicate the species; mating, hatching and growing behavior. Researchers from the University of Florida have achieved success in the same and have been able to breed Pacific blue tangs.
The research was carried out by the university researchers along with Rising Tide Conservation and the SeaWorld-Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. The species is considered to be the most difficult fish. In fact, only 12.5 to 15% of aquarium creatures can be bred in captivity. It has now become vital to increase the percentage.
As mentioned above, only method to get them is from the wild. Blue tangs are not going to become extinct, as they reproduce in large number and live in reefs across the world. But reefs are what giving concerns to scientists.