snazy, you were not interbreeding species, you were interbreeding color morphs of the same species. There is a difference between what happens in the wild and what happens in the hobby. As to how good or bad it may be is up to each to decide, I have my views for sure.
But consider the bristlenose pleco. In the wild some albinos are born naturally. But such fish are not well adapted to survive. An albino will not blend into surroundings as well as the brown/green ones and is likely to be lunch for something. And those few that might survive would have to find another albino of the opposite sex to begin to fix this treat. Now consider the long fin variation. Again in the wild this fish, if it existed, would also be at a disadvantage to is its own kind. LF get more size in their fins but less in their body compared to similar aged raised normal fins. they are not as fast either. So they are least likely to survive and breed.
Long fins were selective bred from fish with slightly longer fins until this trait became fixed and for a much bigger fin size. The same is true for the albino varieties. Most of these line bred fish which would not exist in the wild thrive in tanks.
Think about angels or discus. They all originated from the few wild strains and were then line bred for various colorations and fin traits. A lot of the fish in the hobby do not and could not survive in the wild. But they will all interbreed because they are all really the same "species."
However, I know there is likely some species assumed to be interbreeding in the wild although not in great numbers. The black and white Hypancistrus species seem to cross in the wild at times. I have read reports of their doing so in tanks.
It is one thing when nature decides something might happen and another when it is artificially induced. But for interbreeding to be a reasonable thing one criteria one might apply is can interbred fish reproduce faithfully. Can they produce viable offspring that are clearly similar generation after generation. For example, glowfish, (an abomination, imo) will produce more glofish, even though spawning them ia not supposed to be legal.
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5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, production of these fish is permitted for educational use by teachers and students in bona fide educational institutions, provided, however, that any sale, barter, or trade, of the offspring from such reproduction of these fish is strictly prohibited.
6.Please note that these fish may not be sold or transferred to anyone in the State of California, as California Law prohibits it. The producers of GloFish request that all consumers respect this regulation. For more information about this issue, please
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from
http
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I keep and spawn a few things and it is all done in species tanks. Even grow out tanks are species based. The common variety tank bn do spawn in community tanks, but these are now so far from an identifiable species they can not be said to exists beyond the hobby.
The Xiphophorus center changed it pages but they have identical fish for many many generations of brother to sister breeding such that about 75 years later they have fish that are identical to the original fish from day one.
Dr. Gordon realized that to precisely identify the genes responsible for development of cancer, scientists would require genetically identical platyfish and swordtails for research. Therefore, in 1939, he established the Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, housed at the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Aquarium until 1993, when transfer of the stock center to Texas State University - San Marcos was completed. During its more than 70 years, the stock center has been directed by Dr. Gordon and Dr. Klaus D. Kallman in New York, and currently by Dr. Ronald Walter at Texas State University - San Marcos.
Several of the original genetic strains of platyfish and swordtails developed by Dr. Gordon in the 1930s still are available today; they are virtual genetic clones, the products in some cases of more than 80 generations of brother-to-sister matings.
from
http/web.archive.org/web/20100702031354/http/www.xiphophorus.txstate.edu/stockcenter.html
Imo, responsible fish keepers should try not to keep species together in a tank if any of the species would never meet in the wild so could never interbreed naturally but might do so in a tank. While we can all make mistakes, we should try to be responsible about the fish we mix together in a same tank when it comes to spawning.
eru
