P. yucatanicus engaged in a commensal relationship with C. gigantae on the Drowned Cayes, Belize. Mike Maddox
How do you think the public would react if they were told that cats and dogs, rather than being bred, were taken from the wild (and often injured in the process) before being placed in an oft-inappropriate home? How about if the public were told that 90% of the cats and dogs they bought would die in the first year? Do you suppose it would still be legal to own them?
While this scenario is just an example, anemones in the home aquarium have a dismal survival rate ("more than 90% die within a year " - WetWebMedia)!
Should anemones continue to be imported? What about other animals with incredibly poor survival records in captivity (Dendronepthea & Goniopora species come to mind)? Sure, everyone seems to "knows someone who knows someone" who's had great success with this, that or the other "difficult" species, but does that mean 900+ should perish for every 1000 animals imported?
'Picasso' clown in an H. magnifica 'Ritteri' anemone - this anemone species has a mortality rate of virtually 100% in captivity. Sarah Beggerly
Anemones don't die of old age, and some have been documented to be several centuries old (ritteri and carpet anemones) so these animals can never have a "natural" lifespan in captivity! It has also been documented scientifically that over collection of the bulb-tipped anemone has caused wild populations to plumment. Food for thought...?