‘Finding Dory’ Could Lead to Dangerous Demand for Blue Tangs as Pets

By Brent Lang | Variety | June 22, 2016

“Finding Nemo” centers on an adorable clownfish who is separated from his father before being reunited to live out his days, swimming wild and free in his ocean home. The success of the 2003 film created a huge demand for the finned cuties, as fans of the Pixar hit flocked to pet stores to buy their own Nemos.

Despite the fact that the film had a conservation theme, with Nemo briefly enduring a miserable stint in a dentist office tank, sales of the creatures grew an estimated 40%. By 2012, the orange and white stripped fish were the fifth-most imported species in the United States. In the process, wild populations of clownfish in countries such as the Philippines were decimated, ecologists say.

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