Article - Is the F0 system a fallacy?

Divers catching cichlids

I would like to preface this article by saying that I have not had the pleasure or visiting Lakes Tanganyika or Malawi. Hopefully, that will change in the next few years. Therefore, the following is based upon extensive research and interviews with exporters and importers. Now that I have the obligatory caveats out of the way, let’s get down to business.

Any of us that have read a book on Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika know that it is very expensive to collect cichlids, hold them, and ship them out worldwide to various wholesalers. Pierre Brichard discusses this ad-nasueum in his book Cichlids and all the other fishes of Lake Tanganyika. Cyhpotilapia Frontosa is a perfect example. It comes from deep water and requires decompression in barrels to be brought to the surface. Even under good care, some still die in the process.

I believe that most of us have the following idea in mind. Hired divers go out every morning, in a boat, and attempt to catch as many cichlids as they can, with their nets or other various techniques, until the sun goes down. These fish are brought back to the "fish house" to be acclimated and held. This occurs on a daily basis. Frankly, the companies working on the lake do conduct this type of operation, though the cost to do this is not very practical. This is why the companies have devised more cost-effective means.

Filial Generation definition:
the offspring of a genetically specified mating: first filial generation (symbol F1), the offspring of parents of contrasting genotypes; second filial generation (F2), the offspring of two F1 individuals; third filial generation (F3), fourth filial generation (F4), etc., the offspring in succeeding generations of continued inbreeding of F1 descendents.

This is where my question arises: Is your prized F0 Frontosa, or any other F0 cichlid, which you paid a premium for, really a wild caught fish?

All of the cichlids are brought to the shore facilities to acclimate and prepare for shipment, but there is more going on here than first meets the eye. I submit that a high number of F0 fish are actually fish that have been produced in vats or in ponds on the shores of Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi or in buildings next to the lakes. There are a multitude of pictures and articles that support my theory. Ad Konings describes this practice, with photographic evidence, in his book The Cichlid Yearbook, Volume 6. In Cichild News Magazine (199, Konings describes in detail how he and an exporter from the lake planned to catch as many Tropheus duboisi "Maswa" as they could to set up a large breeding colony back at the exporter's station. The reason behind this? Money. Various ACA (American Cichlid Association) members have, also, traveled to the lakes and written extensively upon the collecting operations, gracing us with first hand accounts and photographs of the ponds and vats. It appears that this is fairly common knowledge throughout the hobby that this type of operation is occurring at the lakes.

Right now, you may be asking yourself: "Big deal, what's wrong with that?" My answer to you is absolutely nothing! I believe it would be impossible for divers to net catch enough cichlids to supply the hobby and keep prices affordable. I believe they catch enough to keep their breeding stations well stocked and grow the various cichlids there. This is clearly the most cost-effective way to do business. It also ensures the cichlid supply will be greater for cichlid enthusiasts seeking to import the latest, greatest discovery from the lakes. This also helps to drive purchasing costs down. From a purely business perspective, this is the only way to go. If I owned a collection facility on the lakes, I would be doing it as well. That being said, I have to label it a bit of "creative advertising."

Holding/Breeding Vats

The problem arises when you attempt to import cichlids from the lakes. One importer I spoke with stated that he imports fish on a monthly basis from a well known exporter on Lake Tanganyika. This importer has first hand knowledge of the breeding ponds/vats that are on the exporter's facility yet the exporter lists only F0 cichlids on his stock lists. In my mind and the hundreds of others that I have discussed this with, this is a problem. We do not mind paying a high price for a fish that was net caught out of the lakes; in fact we down right expect it. What I fail to see, however, is the difference between a pond raised fish in Africa and a pond raised fish, in Florida. In my opinion, they are exactly the same, the only difference being price. They should be listed and sold as F1 or lower, according to the parentage.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the current mentality. If the cichlid is born in Africa, near or on the shores of the lakes, it should be considered an F0 even though it was not net caught out of the waters itself. This simplifies the classification system and makes it easier for the consumer to gauge what they are buying. But clearly there are differences between lake caught fish and pond/vat raised fish. Their behavior is completely different. In my opinion lake caught fish often look more haggard than their F1 counterparts, their fins often worn and frayed. F1 fish are often bigger than their F0 counterparts and do much better in an aquarium setting. They are far less skittish, breed more easily, and generally appear to have a better quality of life. Being that as it may, many of us still desire to own actual lake caught fish, myself included. We merely seek assurance that our lake caught fish was just that, lake caught.

This is by no means an attack against the exporters that work on the lake. In fact, it is far from it. Without the exporters I would not have well stocked aquariums sporting my favorite cichlids. Nor would I have the inspiration to write this article. It is meant to open people's eyes to the fact that the classification system may be a bit outdated. Perhaps it needs to be amended so that a buyer may differentiate between that precious lake caught cichlid or one that has been raised in a pond/vat. Prices should reflect these differences accordingly. I realize this is an oversimplification but I think it gets the point across.  An easy solution, in my mind, would be to list fish as Lake caught or tank raised.

Lakeside facility

Having said this, I again, ask the question, is your prized F0 cichlid really an F0 lake caught cichlid? Or is it merely an F1 that was born from F0 parents in a pond or vat at a breeding facility on the shores of the lakes? I guess it all depends on your interpretation of the classification system, how happy you are with the price you paid, and how deeply you trust your importers and exporters.

I would like to that the many people who shared their experiences with me in regard to this article. Especially the importers who went out on a limb, describing their first hand knowledge of the exportation of the cichlids from the lakes. Without you, my aquariums and this article would not exist.