Death by Dye: Ending the Sale of Dyed Fish in the Aquarium Trade
In the aquarium hobby, most people are attracted to brightly colored fish to keep in home aquaria. Unfortunately for some fish, these bright colors can come at a high price. Certain fish in the pet trade are artificially colored using harsh dyes and even permanent tattoos. John Moyles, Green Bay Aquarium Society President, feels that “that this practice should be condemned as not only cruel, but as totally unnecessary. People buy fish because they are pretty and there are plenty of colorful fish species available in the hobby that do not need to undergo this potentially dangerous procedure. In fact, the species that are being artificially dyed are interesting enough on their own without the coloring.” We, at the Green Bay Aquarium Society, are calling for an end to this practice and we ask that retailers stop selling these fish and for consumers to stop buying them.
Some fish farmers, wholesalers and retailers seem to be under the impression that people like these garish fish. Some of these fish are sold by dealers that do not think that this process is unethical. Dyed fish are imported and sold to, oftentimes, an unsuspecting public. People buy them because they believe that this is their natural coloration or their colors are a result of breeding. Even though this is a terrible issue in the pet industry, it only represents a minority of fish that you can find in a pet store.
Fish are artificially colored in a few ways. Some are soaked in dye to get their color, some fish have dye injected under their skin and others are tattooed with elaborate designs.
Some fish are dipped in dye that will change their colors, usually from white, to bright shades of green, blue, red, etc. In order for the dye to take, they are first dipped in a caustic solution that burns away the fish’s natural slime coat leaving it vulnerable, not only to the dye, but to infection. The slime coat is a vital organ in a fish, it not only helps defend against bacterial, parasitic and fungal diseases, it also helps the fish move through the water, maintains osmoregulation, and helps with gas exchange (Thomas, 2008). The dye is also not permanent; in a short time it will fade leaving the fish in its natural coloration.
This is where hypodermic needles are used to painfully inject dye into the body cavity of living fish unlike a tattoo where the dye is injected into the skin. An experiment by Dr. Peter Burgess and Dr. Stan MacMahon, showed that the dye is under the skin and even moved when light pressure was placed on the fish. In order to color the fish in the pattern seen on the fish, the doctors came to the conclusion that multiple injection sites were needed (Practical Fishkeeping, 2006). This is commonly seen in clear fish such as glass fish (Parambassis ranga). When compared to unpainted glass fish, the painted variety has a host of health issues. A study done by the Victorian Institute of Animal Sciences revealed lesions that included microgranulomas in the kidney, hepatocellular vacuolar change and degeneration. These lesions were not seen in the unpainted glass fish and appeared to be associated with the dye. There are skin lesions that are caused by the lymphocystis virus that are commonly seen on painted glass fish, but rarely seen on normal ones (Greenwood, 2007). Like dipping, the dye is not permanent; it will fade in a short time leaving the fish in its normal, natural coloration.
In recent years, fish that have elaborate tattoos have been available on the market. Importers are rather tight lipped on how this effect is produced, but experts think that lasers are used to destroy skin cells and then the fish are made to swim in dye. The resulting wound absorbs the color of the dye and the scar is supposedly permanently colored (Clarke, 2006). This procedure would again cause the fish pain and open up the fish to risk of diseases.
The following table shows some of the dyed fish that are commonly found in the fish hobby.
Species |
Trade Name |
|
Glass Fish (Parambassis ranga) |
Painted Glass Fish |
|
White Skirt Tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) |
Mixed Fruit Tetra |
|
Parrotfish (Amphiliphus citrinellus x Heros severus) |
Painted Parrot Fish or Jellybean Fish |
|
Cory Catfish (Corydoras sp.) |
Painted Corys |
|
Oscar (Astronautus ocellatus) |
Blueberry Oscars |
|
Molly (Poecilia latipinna) |
Tattooed Molly or Painted Molly |
|
Goldfish (Carassius auratus) |
|
|
African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) |
Painted Frogs |
|
Sebae Anemone (Heteractis crispa) |
Yellow Sebae Anemone |
If you see these fish for sale, the best thing to do is NOT BUY THEM! By purchasing these fish you will be sending a message to the seller, and their wholesaler, that there is a market for these fish. Even if you feel bad for them, the best option for future fish is to walk away. Instead, politely talk to the salesperson and ask them how the fish came to be that color. Some clerks might not be aware that the fish are dyed; education is a key part of this campaign. Sometimes the stores might not even have ordered the fish and they might have been sent to the store as a substitution. It may not be the store’s fault. Either way, you should have the store contact us at www.gbasonline.org so they can read up on the subject and join our campaign to #EndDeathByDye.
We have invited pet shops nationwide and throughout the world to sign the pledge to end death by dye. By signing the pledge, they promise to not sell artificially colored livestock. Partnering stores are offered a poster to help identify which stores have pledged to end death by dye.
A list of shops that have signed the pledge is available at Retail Partners
To sign the pledge, please contact us at support@gbasonline.org
Clarke, M. (2006, February 23). Company offers custom fish tattoos with laser. Practical Fishkeeping.
Greenwood, J. (2007, December 8). Eastern Districts Aquarium Society. Retrieved November 16, 2017, from What's Wrong with a Painted Angel?: https://web.archive.org/web/20071208055649/http://www.edas.com.au/EDAS-Editorials.htm
Practical Fishkeeping. (2006, February 14). Dyed Fish Campaign. Retrieved November 16, 2017, from Practical Fish Keeping: https://web.archive.org/web/20060214021536/http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/campaign.php
Thomas, B. (2008, February 3). Fish Slime. Delta Journal.