Hypothetical Question

Drix · 06/08/2007, 11:59 AM

I was out with friends debating the finer points of the salt water hobby last night when we came up with a question: What happens if you get an endangered species as a hitchhiker on your live rock?

Travis L. Stevens · 06/08/2007, 12:15 PM

Report it to your local authorities and let them handle it. If you're lucky, they'll let you keep it if you get the proper liscensing for it. If you would like to do the noble approach, inform a local conservation group such as an organization, zoo, or public aquarium.

Snowboarda42 · 06/08/2007, 12:42 PM

Don't tell anyone.

Shagsbeard · 06/08/2007, 02:45 PM

If it doesn't reproduce in captivity, revel in the fact you have one, and don't worry about it. Trying to re-introduce it back to the wild is really really pointless.

If it will reproduce, or thive in optimal conditions, you should contact a local aquarium and tell them you have aquired one. It's not against the law to accidentally pick up an endangered species.

stillcity · 06/08/2007, 02:45 PM

I wouldn't tell anyone. The Endangered Species Act = worst piece of
legislation ever. It hasn't really helped animals and it screws people over and over. The authorities will probably tell you that you can't live in your home because it's now within 400 yards of
the species' new habitat.

greenbean36191 · 06/08/2007, 03:38 PM

You keep it and nothing special happens. People have occasionally gotten recruits of elkhorn and staghorn coral on cultured LR, and there is no legal issue with keeping it. All LR falls under CITES regulation anyway, so it's essentially treated as if it all contains endangered species.

Growing and trading anything endangered becomes an issue though unless you can legally document the origin.

Pea-brain · 06/08/2007, 04:31 PM

I agree, unless it has really specialized care I would just keep it. No point in telling anyone else. If it is a coral I'd frag it when I believe it needs it and give it to local reefers who can also care for it (CAREFUL it is illegal. But you are helping spread the species and eventually if there are tons of these endangered corals in everyones tank....well they aren't as endangered not, are they. This is a bit of a "I can help and will regardless of law" aproach) If it is not and needs no specialized care trying to return ONE specimen thousands of miles is just pointless. If it needs speciualized care give it to a public aquarium or something.

06/08/2007, 11:59 AM	#1
Drix Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 590	Hypothetical Question I was out with friends debating the finer points of the salt water hobby last night when we came up with a question: What happens if you get an endangered species as a hitchhiker on your live rock?

06/08/2007, 12:15 PM	#2
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	Report it to your local authorities and let them handle it. If you're lucky, they'll let you keep it if you get the proper liscensing for it. If you would like to do the noble approach, inform a local conservation group such as an organization, zoo, or public aquarium. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

06/08/2007, 12:42 PM	#3
Snowboarda42 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Warshington Posts: 1,094	Don't tell anyone. __________________ 40B Mixed Reef 100% Captive Grown Corals See, that's the trouble with the world today. Not enough danger to kill off stupid people before they get old enough to breed. Bring back lawn darts! -PrivateJoker64 Current Tank Info: 40B, 20L Sump/Fuge, Mag 9.5 Return, 2x Hydor Koralia #2's, 150W 14K HQI, 139W T-5, Euro-Reef RS-80P Mesh Modded, 40LB LR, 80LB LS, 54x Turnover, Mostly SPS, Some Softys Too.

06/08/2007, 03:38 PM	#6
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	You keep it and nothing special happens. People have occasionally gotten recruits of elkhorn and staghorn coral on cultured LR, and there is no legal issue with keeping it. All LR falls under CITES regulation anyway, so it's essentially treated as if it all contains endangered species. Growing and trading anything endangered becomes an issue though unless you can legally document the origin. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

06/08/2007, 02:45 PM	#4
Shagsbeard Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Morro Bay, CA Posts: 2,143	If it doesn't reproduce in captivity, revel in the fact you have one, and don't worry about it. Trying to re-introduce it back to the wild is really really pointless. If it will reproduce, or thive in optimal conditions, you should contact a local aquarium and tell them you have aquired one. It's not against the law to accidentally pick up an endangered species.

06/08/2007, 02:45 PM	#5
stillcity Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 151	I wouldn't tell anyone. The Endangered Species Act = worst piece of legislation ever. It hasn't really helped animals and it screws people over and over. The authorities will probably tell you that you can't live in your home because it's now within 400 yards of the species' new habitat.

06/08/2007, 04:31 PM	#7
Pea-brain Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Vassalboro, ME Posts: 1,661	I agree, unless it has really specialized care I would just keep it. No point in telling anyone else. If it is a coral I'd frag it when I believe it needs it and give it to local reefers who can also care for it (CAREFUL it is illegal. But you are helping spread the species and eventually if there are tons of these endangered corals in everyones tank....well they aren't as endangered not, are they. This is a bit of a "I can help and will regardless of law" aproach) If it is not and needs no specialized care trying to return ONE specimen thousands of miles is just pointless. If it needs speciualized care give it to a public aquarium or something.