This Sort of Brings Ichthyomania to Another Level
Some guys like to fish, other guys are crazy about fish, and then there are other guys who want to breed fish in a laboratory to see if they can do it.
Todd Gardner is one of those guys, and he just accomplished what many thought unattainable—breed a “reef basslet” fish in captivity. The doubters were not just everyday folks shopping at Petco. The task was believed to be completely impossible by most fish scientists.
Gardner has been dedicating himself seven days a week since July to make this happen while working at his job at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead. He also works as a biology teacher at Suffolk Community College.
The reef basslet that he bred is extremely rare and also expensive. The fish is only 2 inches long and is considered to be a huge deal when owned by an aquarium because it is so difficult to catch.
Catch it? Screw that. Tom Gardner just made one!
Why is it so tough to catch, you ask? These fish usually live in 200 feet of water and hide in reefs. People have literally killed themselves trying to catch this specimen.
I don’t quite get the point of any of this, but it seems like it was a pretty hard thing to do. I respect that.