what is the job title of someone who catches fish for aquarium?

There are research facilities that specialize in marine biology, not sure if they require PHD or masters though. Your best bet with research is to get as much school as you can, but make sure you specialize in something that people want to research or you could be a very well educated burger flipper.

SCRIPPs has an aquarium here in San Diego and they do a lot of marine bio research. You could check out their website.

 

You said your in California right? if you have any major airports near you most importers are right near some major airports so they can receive and ship out orders really easily.
some examples are Sea Dwelling Creatures (SDC) and Oceans Reefs and Aquariums (ORA)... as well as a bunch of smaller ones that are not known as well

 

"That thing that put me in this tiny box."

-Tigger the Trigger

 

+1 and I do it for a living. You need to sell your home to buy the license to do it, and you don't make much ...but you spend a great deal more time in the water than any scientist. In one year you will dive as often as a scientist will in a decade. Take your pros with your cons, or do the smart thing and work for a collection company. You won't see ads in the paper though, marine life collectors as they are titled in Florida are super secretive of their spots, and will only hire family, and close friends/other fisherman that bring spots/or additional bag limits. (Although I am an invert specialist, b/c spots are more important to invert specialists as opposed to say fish specialists my understanding of how people are brought into the biz may differ).


edit - i was referring to how it is done in FL above - easy to get the license in Calif.,