It’s Friday, July 30th, and the rumors are circulating that C-Quest is releasing captive bred Golden Damselfish, Amblyglyphidodon aureus (thanks to The Ediaz for tipping us off!). C-Quest customers, check your latest availability lists! Let me emphasize the “captive-bred” part. These aren’t tank-reared, collected as juveniles. No, these are truly spawned in captivity, hatched in captivity, reared in captivity. Truly tank-bred/captive-bred.
This new release is yet another example of innovations made outside of commercial aquaculture being leveraged to help expand commercial captive propagation, as we have Todd Gardner @ Atlantis Marine World to thank for the first insights into the breeding and rearing of Amblyglyphidodon aureus. Todd’s initial success, followed by C-Quest’s expansion on them, should serve as a reminder of the important role that hobbyist-level and institutional tinkering plays in forming a foundation for commercial marine fish breeding R&D.
Unlike so many other damselfish, the Golden Damselfish is one that actually becomes more vibrantly colored as it matures (vs. so many others that simply get dark / dusky or black)! They do get “big”, but to reference Todd Gardner, “Amblyglyphidodon spp. are pelagic and gregarious, swimming out in the open in loose assemblages rather than aggressively defending a territory on the bottom. These characteristics make them much more suitable for a large community tank than many of their solitary relatives.” Keep an eye out for this great new addition to the commercially captive-bred lineup. You’ll likely find this fish through any retailer carrying C-Quest stock. Amblyglyphidodon aureus image by FlickR user Pacific Klaus.
