Bred in Taiwan?

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Here is two similar angelfish story.

A four-photo sheet shows a growth of Pomacanthus asfur, the Asfur Angelfish, from the Red Sea. Adults are sold at shops on occasion but juveniles are scarcely seen. It commands a high price but the price dropped and many aquarists can afford at present. No photo of living juveniles at the depth is available, but availability of juveniles is recently increasing in market, but not so often.

This species is similar in appearance to Pomacanthus maculosus, the Maculosus (photo below), especially when they are very young. While I was staying in Taipei, Taiwan last year I heard that P. maculosus was succsssfully bred there. So many juveniles have been sold at shops in Japan at a reasonable price, and the mystery was solved, but when I showed a photo of juvenile asfur he replied that it has been bred in Taiwan.

I have no idea which is bred in Taiwan; perhaps it is P. maculosus, but can anybody reply the truth ?

 

[Anonymous]

We've had the Asfur show up stateside for years as CB from Taiwan. I remember seeing them around 10 years ago.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Dear Mr. GreshamH,

Many thanks for your kind reply, but really ten years ago and Asfur !? I am much surprised at this, and at least now Pomacanthus maculosus with no doubt are bred somewhere, Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Juveniles of this are very cheap, just around 3000-4000 Yen (roughly US $28-36). Those of Asfur still are more expensive, some 10000-12000 Yen, but the cheapest in the past ten years.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, after talking to a friend, it was the P. mac. that we were getting in a while back.

 

[Vili_Shark]

Hello Tanaka San.
From what I've heard the P.asfur was also bred in Taiwan, but not in big numbers and not regular.
The P.maculosus is bred regulary and I saw some shipments from there with quite a lot of specimens very healthy, and with beautiful colors.
They are also breeding the C.septennioralis.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Many thanks, friends.

I see that two of them have been reproduced in Taiwan, but P. asfur is fewer. A nice response by you!

 

[spawner]

If you look at the article in OFI it talks about both species. But they only have been sending Macs over here. I don't know if they ever have reared the Asfurs.