Wal-Mart is to cease trading in aquarium fishes at some of its US stores in response to consumer demand.
According to a report from the news agency Reuters, Wal-Mart, which is one of the USA's largest retailers, with over 3000 stores, is to stop fish sales at an undisclosed number of its outlets.
Spectrum Brands Inc (formerly Rayovec), who own the Tetra and Jungle brands, told Reuters that a retailer was to stop fish sales at 700 stores.
Wal-Mart would not confirm to Reuters exactly how many stores would be affected, but said that it was certainly not abandoning the aquarium business.
Bill Chappell, SunTrust analyst told Reuters that Wal-Mart does not have the appeal of the Petsmart and Petco chains, or the smaller independents, with fishkeepers.
"You see too many floaters. You walk in there and there are a bunch of dead fish. It's not that consumers don't want fish, it's just, in my opinion, it's just consumers don't want to buy fish there and it's in large part because they don't look particularly healthy."