[Tony Pinto]

Hello,
I would agree with some statements posted about captive breeding but..even the bettas species like channoides or albimarginata do not produce hundreds or thousands of fry at any given time….when compared with more productive species like the easier barbs, danios or rasboras. If that were true many pet stores would be stocking domestic bred channoides and albimarginata all the time and prices would be in the $3 or $4 per fish, compared to $20 per fish (typically even at Neds). One possibility would be to have commercial breeders in SE Asia work with the easier Paros. species and produce them from time to time. I would not say that it is an easy undertaking as the fish are not the most productive. And they can be delicate as regards shipping requirements, which makes them an expensive fish to acquire. But similar attempts have been done with Malpulutta kretseri (which is seriously endangered in Sri Lanka) and you do get fish coming into the hobby although at high prices ($150 per pair on the list when they are available). It does mean having someone take the time and effort to breed the fish and the aquarist pays for that dedication and care. Currently it is still cheaper to go out and catch a lot of peat swamp fish in SE Asia, than it is to breed them commercially and make a profit. Just my 2 cents !