SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Michiana Aquarium Society hosted their annual swap show this weekend, complete with a swap meet along with a fish show, an auction, and guest speakers.

The auction featured a variety of species, including some rare aquatic wildlife.

The event's goal is to raise awareness and spread support for the conservation of rare fish by hobbyists. 

"Everything from your bread-and-butter stuff you'll buy at the local pet store, like tetras angelfish, all the way to some rare goodeids that are extinct in the wild, like they're the only place they're being kept is in the hobby," says Eric Scarborough, President of the Michiana Aquarium Society. "So, it's anything you've never heard of, all the way to your neon tetras and stuff you can buy anywhere.

Hobbyists at the event also emphasized the crucial role these species play in preserving wildlife.