Plecostomus Under Attack!!

In a recent news, fishermen from Marikina, Philippines, were catching janitor fish aka Plecostomus, in Marikina River and then hauling them to a nearby dump trucks and letting them die under the heat of the sun. Almost 50% of the fish caught were dead before reaching the dumpsite.

According to an updated city ordinance, the local government will pay 50 centavos for every janitor fish caught from the river and presented to the Parks Development and Recreation Office.

To push the campaign further, one councilor from that city, would organize a contest next month which would give an award to the group with the most number of janitor fish caught- and increase the price as well.

Are there any known benefits from this kind of fish that's why they are killing them by the hundreds if not thousands? Yes, there are. And they knew it. The said councilor even has the guts to say that he would support the high school student who won in an international competition for his work on turning oil produced by the fish into biofuel.

The said student, Raymond Joseph Amurao, 16, a graduate of the Marikina City Science High School, won in a science fair in Indiana, USA in May 2006 for his work on extracting oil from janitor fish. The oil could be used in making soap and biofuel.

Its quite an irony , isn't it? Raymond Amurao is from that place with a great scientific mind, could be of help to our energy problem, and they are depriving him of one the sources of his raw material.

For us avid aquarists, we know the meaning of commensalism, mutualism, and symbiotic relationships between fish.

I guess we didn't have to worry because we will have the benefit of watching Plecostomus at peace with our own created environment for them, in the luxury of our home.



Black and Albino Plecostomus in a Peaceful Environment with a Relaxing Music to Boot