Understanding and improving the welfare of tropical fish kept in home and public aquariums.
Tropical fish welfare in captivity depends on meeting complex species-specific needs that many hobbyist setups fail to address. Fish require adequate space, appropriate social groupings, water quality within tight parameters, and environments that allow natural behaviors. The wild-caught trade imposes severe welfare costs before fish even reach a tank. Improved certification systems and hobbyist education are gradually raising standards, but the scale of the industry means millions of fish continue to suffer preventable welfare failures.