So we sit on arses and do nothing!!!

What a gloom merchant.

I've read many accounts where the adverse effects of inbreeding would take 20-30 generation to be a real problem.

You yourself have mentioned the GBA which was originally bred from a few individual fish in Paraquay

Given that many of the fish we are talking about don't hit sexual maturity till 2-4 yrs, then we are talking about decades of enjoyment of these fish in NZ, by which time we could have thousands ready to breed with any that might make our shores from other breeding programs.

I would have thought the notion of sustaining supplies through wild caught specimens has a far shorter lifespan and questionable sustainability than the situation I've described.

I fail to see how the fact that there are yet to be described species would change this in anyway. In fact we have very little informayion on the breeding habits of many of these fish.

Do Alpha males inhabit territories? are they migratory?

wildcaught specimens are collected from the same spot and they will include the smallest of juviniles through to the largest of males.

There is alot we don't know The only hurdle I can see is attitude.

Agreed that pooling individual fish as adults willy nilly, hoping to get them to breed isn't the way to go. I'm descibing a situation of colonies.

No I'm not a Zoo or a scientist, and I'm not on a crusade to to save all plecs. But I like many around the world have a passion for these fish, where they come from and the importance of that region to the world as a whole.

Your argument would have me commit suicide because I'm going die one day anyway.

Your argument would have me commit suicide because I'm going die one day anyway.

Well put firenzenz - my thoughts exactly.