I’m wondering if observations of stowaway organisms in captive environments should be marked as captive/cultivated or not. The examples that come to mind are two observations I made recently. One is of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a very common parasite in aquarium fish. The other is of some Aud…

[image] cthawley: There are multiple references to zoos, gardens Yes, and as I recall, it says that the fly on the zebra in the zoo is a wild fly.

[image] cthawley: is it turtles all the way down? This reminds me of Koko , the Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla ssp. gorilla) who was taught sign language and who had a pet kitten (Felis catus) . More information about Koko’s kitten .

Yes, and as I recall, it says that the fly on the zebra in the zoo is a wild fly. I think the difference here is that the fly flew in to the zoo and on to the zebra of it’s own accord. With the algae, if can’t do that. If I set up a glass box and fill it up with water (for the sake of this conv…

Yes, it will - that’s how it got there. The examples used are just examples - they do not encompass all possibilities nor all environments - it’s all about intention, as the definition clearly states. Bearing this in mind, the algae is wild.

What do people think of this starfish observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/130153102

I think in general it’s best to not post individual iNat observations here. Let the community find it and vote and discuss there as details for each case can be unique. In the end that’s where these discussions should happen. Any researcher who comes across the observation can see the discussion (an…

Since it’s currently listed as captive, the possibility of others finding the observation without this post seems pretty low.

The parasites weren’t willingly introduced into the aquarium and aren’t being actively tended to. They’re wild organisms that found their way into an artificial habitat where they can thrive. They’re not pets, they’re wildlife much like spiders in a cellar or Ailanthus growing on the margins of a r…

How long after discovery have the weeds or parasites been in the captive environment? If you know you have weeds/parasites and you don’t eradicate/remove them, you’ve chosen to tend them. That captive environment is under your control. I weed my vegetable garden. Certain individuals may be spared…

iNat rules say your weeds are wild. Unless you deliberately planted the seeds?

Unwanted organisms in captive environments?

General

Topic		Replies	Views
Wild vs. Captive/Cultivated Gray Areas General	128	4406	March 27, 2023
Cultivated status for bugs? General question	35	1154	April 12, 2025
Should invasives be "wild" if they were prevented from being introduced? General	42	841	September 20, 2024
Captive/cultivated in regards to biocontrol release General	30	640	August 13, 2025
Do microscopic organisms in fish tanks count as wild? General	32	975	February 20, 2026

Unwanted organisms in captive environments?

Related topics