The American Livebearer Association (ALA) is pleased to announce the establishment of the American Livebearer Association's James K. Langhammer Fund for Conservation (“LFC”). The purpose of the fund is to financially support the:

1. Restoration and preservation of habitats, and recovery of populations, of livebearing fish species at risk
2. Research and education related to the preservation of livebearing fishes
3. Encourage captive breeding and maintainance of threatened, endangered, or extinct-in-nature livebearing fishes

The Fund is being overseen by a Committee, appointed by and reporting to the ALA Board of Directors, and consisting of ALA Directors Rit Forcier (committee chair) (CT) and Dr. Don Holtgrieve (OR), and Dr. Ted Coletti (NJ). As a registered 501-c-3 non-profit entity, donations to the American Livebearer Association’s LFC are tax-deductible. Initial donations to the fund have already been put to good use, with proceeds going towards the support of HALCP, also known as Fish Ark Mexico, in memory of the late Ivan Dibble.

“Jim is the ALA member who has done more to educate us on the need for conservation efforts for our favorite group of fish than anyone else,” comments ALA Chairman Allen Wood. “ His efforts have convinced us of the need to work to improve habitat wherever livebearing fish are under threat and to maintain for the long term these threatened fish in our aquaria.”

About James K. Langhammer: An ALA Fellow, this retired Curator of the historic Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit has been instrumental in the captive breeding, education, awareness, and distribution of the endangered and extinct fishes over 6 decades, particularly the Goodeid livebearers of Mexico. Most of the goodeids currently in the hobby are believed to have come from Langhammer’s stocks, which he has been freely giving away to hobbyists, universities, and public aquariums around the world for decades. Jim also introduced several other species to the freshwater hobby, and worked closely with ALA Founder Dr. Joanne Norton in the early years of that organization, later serving as Chairman. He is also one of the Founders and First President of American Cichlid Asssociation (ACA), where he is also honored as a Fellow.

“Hammer” as he is known among his friends, continues to be a source of education and assistance to hobbyists and academics of all levels around the world. The ALA honors his generosity and commitment to endangered animals with the establishment of a conservation fund in his name.

You may Donate to the fund by clicking HERE.