"Hey, John, is this fish... a dragon fish?" Jiang Hai asked uncertainly, gazing at the fish swimming in the tank in front of him. The fish resembled a dragon fish, a rare and valuable species.
When Jiang Hai was in middle school, his family had raised fish for a while. They weren't exotic species like dragon fish, but small fish. His father had started the hobby for reasons Jiang Hai never understood, but he went along with it.
At first, they had phoenix tails, red-and-green lights, and submarines. But after a while, his father grew bored of the small fish.
Soon, he started raising map fish, then arowanas, and even parrots. His enthusiasm for fishkeeping grew stronger for a time.
Eventually, the fish died, but they had accompanied Jiang Hai for a long period. It wasn't until after he graduated from college that his father gave up on the hobby, mainly because the family's fish tank had broken. Nevertheless, Jiang Hai had accompanied his father to fish markets since he was a child, and he knew quite a bit about fish. He understood that dragon fish were the most expensive in the aquarium market. But weren't dragon fish ornamental? Why were they still regulated by the Washington Convention?
"Oh, this kind of fish," John said, after hearing Jiang Hai's question, "it's called a 'dragon fish' in China, but here it's known as the 'beautiful hard-served bone tongue fish.' It's a variant of the bone tongue fish, and it's indeed a protected species under the Washington Convention."
Jiang Hai laid his gaze on the fish that had grown quite large. "It's a beautiful fish," he remarked.
John nodded. "Its research value isn't too high, though, since it's been found all over the world."
Dragon fish, or beautiful hard-served bone tongue fish as the scientists call it, is an ancient species dating back to the Archean Carboniferous period, roughly 360 million years ago. Back then, it competed with the ancestors of sharks. By 140 million years ago, it was found in Asia and the Indian subcontinent, but over time, with the shifting of continents, it spread across the globe.
The first discovery of the fish was in the Amazon in 1829, though it was white and golden. The most valuable variety, the blood dragon, was discovered in South Vietnam in 1933. Over time, people categorized the dragon fish into several types, including silver dragons, blue dragons, golden dragons, red dragons, and platinum dragons.
Among these, the platinum dragon is the most expensive, sometimes selling for up to $300,000.
"Platinum dragon fish are hard to breed," John explained, "because they require albino golden dragons to mate. Albino golden dragons are rare, and the mutation rate for these fish is almost nonexistent—one in a million, to be exact."
"That's quite rare," Jiang Hai mused. "So breeding them is almost impossible, right?"
John shrugged. "It's not easy, but it's not impossible either. Here in Boston, though, you can find nearly every kind of dragon fish imaginable. Silver, golden, red, and even the cross-back golden dragons. If these were sold in China, they'd fetch a high price, but in the U.S., fish don't usually go for that much."
"Anyway," John said, leaning on the glass, "I don't think it's that attractive." He sneered, glancing at the dragon fish again.
Jiang Hai chuckled. "I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Despite John's lack of enthusiasm, Jiang Hai found himself intrigued. He had always enjoyed raising fish with his father, but after moving away for college, he didn't have the chance. Fishkeeping was prohibited in his dorm, so he had to put it aside. Now, the idea of raising these rare dragon fish—especially when they could be worth a fortune—tempted him.
A platinum dragon fish could sell for $300,000, far more than a large bluefin tuna, which might fetch only $30,000 if it were of excellent quality. Jiang Hai thought that raising these fish could be a profitable venture.
"By the way, John," Jiang Hai said, lowering his voice but still with visible excitement, "I'm really interested in these fish. Do you think you could get me a few? Money's not an issue."
Dominica, who had been silently listening nearby, rolled her eyes. "Here we go again," she muttered to herself. Jiang Hai had a habit of wanting to collect exotic animals wherever he went—whether it was raising brown bears or now, fish. But this time, she didn't criticize him.
The dragon fish wasn't extinct—artificial breeding was possible, though the survival rate wasn't guaranteed. Jiang Hai figured he could raise the fish, especially if he used his spiritual energy to help them grow strong.
After a brief pause, John frowned. "We can't sell them directly, but if you donate some money, we could arrange for you to receive them as a gift." He hesitated. "Of course, the money has to be donated to the zoo, not directly to me."
Jiang Hai smiled, recognizing the workaround. "That's fine," he said. "I'll donate $100,000. I expect the fish I receive to be worth more than that."
John's eyes lit up. "Now that's more like it!" he said enthusiastically. "Tell me what kind you want and how many. We can make it happen."
Jiang Hai smiled but didn't rush. He hadn't even bought a tank yet. There was no need to be hasty. After some more casual conversation, Jiang Hai followed John as they moved forward.
After passing the aquatic animal area, they entered the terrestrial animal section. Here, too, the animals were protected, and Jiang Hai saw a Siberian tiger. It wasn't native to America but had been brought here. Originally found in Northeast China and Siberia, the Siberian tiger was the largest cat in the world, though it now appeared smaller than the mountain lion, which was still considered the most powerful wild cat.
Jiang Hai wasn't particularly surprised to see the tiger. He knew that many species had gone extinct in North America after the European colonization, including large cats.
Next, they moved to the bird section. The area was expansive, with a range of birds housed in natural-looking cages or large, open woodland spaces. When they reached the largest of these bird enclosures, John and his companions stopped.
Jiang Hai gazed up at the artificial forest. Several dark shapes loomed on the treetops, and fierce eyes stared down at them.