# The hunt for Hong Kong's black paradise fish



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

Hong Kong Black Paradise fish is a labyrinth fish named after my grandfather's homeland : Hong Kong island. It is closely related to wild fighting fish, _Betta_ spp.

In April 2008, during my trip to southern China, my friend, Zhou Hang caught a male black paradise fish in the countryside of Guangdong province of China. A day before I left China, my another friend, "Yellowman" decided to bring me to another location to collect black paradise fish not far from Shenzhen (also near Hong Kong).

It was a beautiful Monday morning, 2 of us took a bus to our destination. About 2 hours later, we reached a small town where people speak Hakka dialect. From that town, we took a motor cycle taxi to the coastal area.

The beautiful scenery at the coastal area:










Walking pass the fish ponds:










Finally, I am back to my grandpap homeland....wow, it's so beautiful!!!










Paradise on earth!


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

As mentioned just now, few days before this trip, Zhou caught me a male paradise fish. So, I decided to collect a female fish in this location so that they can breed at my home aquarium.

The habitat:










Mosquito fish (_Gambusia_ sp.) introduced to this stream.










After few hours later, I finally caught a female paradise fish hidden in the leaf litter. The water is almost still & a bit polluted. After taking pictures, both of us left this place & went to eat the cheap seafood at the nearby coastal town.

Unidentified species:










Lantern bug (_Pyrops_ sp.) found resting on a tree:










Few months later, they spawned in my aquarium. The buble nest build by the male paradise fish:










Male black paradise fish (_Macropodus hongkongensis_) has the longer fins (& more colourful)compared to female.










The female:










The juvenile (their baby):


----------



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

VERY nice pictorial!

Your web site is a thing to note too! I visit it every so often - it's like a mini-trip to places I can only dream of.

Thank you!
--Nikolay


----------



## Qwertus (Oct 14, 2008)

Does anyone know how to import a fish from another country to US. I'm thinking of getting a few from Vietnam, but not sure how to do that legally.


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

niko said:


> VERY nice pictorial!
> 
> Your web site is a thing to note too! I visit it every so often - it's like a mini-trip to places I can only dream of.
> 
> ...


Thanks for visiting my website.


----------



## DarioDario (Nov 14, 2008)

How awesome you can just go out and catch fish like that.... all we have is big ugly bass, nothing I want in my tank


----------



## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

thats great you got them to breed for you congrats are you keeping the babies to raise for yourself?


----------



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Qwertus said:


> Does anyone know how to import a fish from another country to US. I'm thinking of getting a few from Vietnam, but not sure how to do that legally.


Legal import is pretty involved. If you want to import only a few fishes I don't really know what's needed to do it legally. If you will be importing several species of fish you will basically be a wholesale importer:

First thing you need is to live close to an airport that has a Fish and Wildlife inspection station. Second you need a permit. Third you need a reliable supplier (exporter) from Vietnam (you can get scammed very easily). Fourth - enough tanks to keep the fish in. Fifth - enough time to run everything.

All exporters have a minimum order. Shipping accounts for about 50% of your price, or even more. Usually there is a lot of dead fish arriving because the exporters try to pack in very little water (weight considerations).

Keeping the fish alive and healthy is almost a full time job, even if you have one single minimum order in your tanks.

What I described above is 50% of the work you need to do. Communicating with customers over the internet is the other half.

You can do it, but you need to approach it as a serious business.

--Nikolay


----------



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

DarioDario said:


> How awesome you can just go out and catch fish like that.... all we have is big ugly bass, nothing I want in my tank


Maybe you mean the fish you have seen locally. For years now I have really wanted to see Native American fish like these:

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/efish/families/bluebreast.html

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/efish/families/cyprinidae.html

Some of them are better looking than many common aquarium fish.

--Nikolay


----------



## junglemike (Aug 3, 2007)

jazzlvr123 said:


> thats great you got them to breed for you congrats are you keeping the babies to raise for yourself?


Thanks. The babies managed to find food on their own in the tank. The parents won't eat them.


----------

