Glofish.........The ones that glow in the dark

[silver]

I was watching Animal Planet tonight on the tube and saw a little bit on the invention of the glo-fish.

Over in Tawain this man injects the fish with Jellyfish DNA and can actually watch organs developing inside the eggs depending on what organs he pumps the DNA into. It actually may prove beneficial to man and/or animals someday in detecting early heart trouble.....etc.

The problem is that when they pump the entire fish with it (ie - so the WHOLE fish glows) and then they distribute them.....they may reak havoc in the natural occuring fish populations of home aquariums. To prevent breeding with other animals these fish are made sterile (the glolight fish).

This fish that they use also makes eggs EVERY day so it is an easy fish to do this sort of research on, says the man who invented them.

Interesting I thought........I would still never buy any though and urge others not too do so........

 

[vantgE]

To prevent breeding with other animals these fish are made sterile (the glolight fish).

That's a great idea, sorta stops my worries on them as it doesn't seem like it is a cruel creation to me, unless there are phycoligiacl problems linked to being sterile for the fish

 

[Teelie]

I saw the same show too.

Actually, glow/glo lights and glo-fish are two different fish entirely. Glolight or Glowlight fish are natural, Glo-fish are the genetically modified ones.

What they didn't tell you is about 10% make it out with breeding capacity and will breed. The claim of their destroying or altering an environment is pretty much a crock too. They even explained it in the show. Abnormal animals that stick out, don't last in the wild. That's why albino animals are only a commonality in non-wild habitats like aquariums or zoos.

Supposing someone was ignorant enough to do it and release these into the wild, assuming the sudden change in water conditions and environment didn't do them in, the fact they're literally neon "EAT ME!" signs swimming around in the water surely would before they had a chance to reproduce. The same goes for any eggs that successfully did get laid. They glow so they'd show up even more than normal eggs and thus, be eaten.

Sometimes these shows try to put some environmental spin or claim then neglect to mention anything that might contradict that spin. The mutated frogs too, btw are not human caused, at least not in the way they claim. Indirectly humans might be responsible for introducing the parasite that causes it while they're tadpoles, but it's Herons and similar frog eating birds that actually pass the parasite around to the water ways.

 

[Opcn]

My glofish bred but all the fry were eaten.

 

[silver]

I changed my title so as not to be confusing.....thanks Teelie!

OPCN, they spawned??? Do you know if they actually hatched?

 

[Opcn]

I caught the fry but I put them in a jar in the tank and one of the three fatheres (the only one of the tree that survived the tail rot that hit my tank) jumped into the jar whos rim was more than an inch above the surface. I had 7 fry. They just spawned again but I didn't get any fry and now I have another female so I dont know If they are glofri or normal.

 

[wrs]

there are other fsih that are made to glow too. Zebra danios are also injected with neon glowing stuff to make them gliow in more colors than the tai ones. its kinda creepy though. imaging waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and there are these glowing things swimming around in your room. you minght wet yourself.

 

[juliethegr8t]

I also have read that Glo-fish can breed. If they breed with normal zebra danios, the fry are "half strength" glow... though if you breed them with another Glo-fish, you'll have more Glo-fish.

 

[Teelie]

there are other fsih that are made to glow too. Zebra danios are also injected with neon glowing stuff to make them gliow in more colors than the tai ones. its kinda creepy though. imaging waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and there are these glowing things swimming around in your room. you minght wet yourself.

Contrary to common belief, they do not glow in the dark (the Zebras) but they do under normal light somewhat and they have a much stronger glow under black light. I don't know if the Tai's truly do glow in the dark or not though.

 

[silver]

The one's on TV did The full strength glofish anyhow.

Sort of like the Blood Parrot I suppose.......they weren't suppose to be "able" to breed, but there have been cases where they in fact did!
I suppose the body, over time - evolution, tries to correct itself to be "normal".....

 

[Teelie]

The green ones were under a black light though they may have been in complete darkness too. I didn't catch all of that. The red ones, Danios do not glow in the dark is what I meant.

 

[Hoplesswfish]

Silver Not to long ago didn't you do a post on these fish and other dyed fish? I don't think glofish are all that great not for what the fish has to go through. I really don't see any point. Why not just turn your lights on to watch your fish why do you need them to glow.

 

[Opcn]

Most are acctually half strength here in AK

 

[Teelie]

I don't think glofish are all that great not for what the fish has to go through.

Go through? Glo-fish don't go through anything like dyed fish do. There's a lot of misinformation on Glo-fish and one of them is they're somehow traumatized or weakened by the change which isn't true.

I have heard they tend to be weaker than the unaltered normal Zebra Danio but I think that has more to do with their transportation from the farm than from being genetically modified.

IMO, there's nothing wrong with them except they look kind of tacky and will interest a lot of people into getting them who don't know how to properly care for fish, but then Finding Nemo did that and no one is complaining.