New Glow Fish (Controversial)

[Wills]

Just checked email to find this article from PFK - http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=2962&utm_source=PFK_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=July_1_2010&utm_term=Fluorescent_cichlids_produced_in_Taiwan&utm_content=html

Looks like they have put a similar gene from glowfish - ie genetically modified zebra danio.

Thoughts?

Personally not got an issue with it, the fish are not harmed in anyway and to be fair the fish in the video look pretty healthy. I guess in many ways this kind of crosses moral lines beyond our hobby but in this situation when the glowfish were actually first created to help with human medicine so I would support it. I would be interested to know if any of the funds from glowfish and these new ones go towards the original research?

I also support these coming into the hobby in place of tattooed and dyed fish because the gene is added to the egg not a live fish and the report says its a gene carrying into 5th generation fish.

For the mods - I know this is a controversial subject and look forward to an interesting discussion but I can see it out getting out of hand so please feel free to close it when necessary.

For people posting here - Keep it clean and lets not make it personal for anyone's opinion, free speech and all that.

Wills

 

[jpeterson]

I don't see any harm in it. As you have said the fish look healthy and happy in the pics and vids. Very interesting!

 

[TimNorwich]

I was just reading this through the e-mail PFK sent me, very interesting stuff. Shame they aren't available in the UK!

 

[robryb]

I would just be careful that such a fish could accidently escape into the wild and cause havoc. For example, if a fish is genetically altered to be hardier, or more aggressive, or breed more, it could effectively wipe out natural fish in the wild by out-competing them, or breeding like mad, or just eat them. It's a small chance, but still. We can see similar problems in the world today, with African Bees, Black Wattle, and other alien species invading natural habitats.

But in a way, we're doing it already with selective breeding to enhance traits. Like Bettas, for example. or Neons being bred for colour.

 

[kizno1]

I think glowfish are died where as these had jelly fish dna added to them to give them the glow. I from what ive herd because its dna has bee modified that its fry will be glowfish aswell.

 

[Wills]

I think glowfish are died where as these had jelly fish dna added to them to give them the glow. I from what ive herd because its dna has bee modified that its fry will be glowfish aswell.

Glow danio are genetically modified not died they were done from jellyfish genes as well.


Also to robryb, if these fish got released into the wild they would be eaten almost instantly by a predator think of them as like a big neon mcdonalds sign.

 

[Curiosity101]

It's dyed not died (sorry it was making me wince). I see no problems with this whilever they're only going as far as altering genes for colour and other superficial things that will never affect health.

also just to comment on this...

I would just be careful that such a fish could accidently escape into the wild and cause havoc. For example, if a fish is genetically altered to be hardier, or more aggressive, or breed more, it could effectively wipe out natural fish in the wild by out-competing them, or breeding like mad, or just eat them. It's a small chance, but still. We can see similar problems in the world today, with African Bees, Black Wattle, and other alien species invading natural habitats.

^^ You can't really change genes to make them 'hardier' and particularly in the UK there aren't many fish that would survive due to conditions and the fact that they are colourful. Our natural fish are various shades of brown/green for a reason.

 

[Kipsie]

I saw them at a store and I thought they were very adorable.
They're only enhanced for looks, and I don't think they could cause world destruction.
Think Botox or permanent make-up... But for fish!
I wanted to get some along with zebra danios.
Not sure if they'd school together or with their own colour. Thoughts?

 

[robryb]

Yeah, I was only talking about a worst-case scenario there. At the moment it's just superficial changes that shouldnt do any harm.

 

[Curiosity101]

Thing is, there are rules restricting genetic modification. If it was seen that they were altering fish to increase any sort of resistance it would only be allowed for conservation or medical reasons. And on top of that, there are very strict rules on what can and can't then be sold to the public.

We are unlikely to ever legally see any genetically modified fish in the UK at any point in the future. As for the rest of the world, there are still relatively strict rules on selling.

 

[drobbyb]

Oh boy, what a can of worms to open. These fish may be cute, but this is just the first step. Ever hear the old adage, "Give and inch, take a mile?" While these particular "enhancements" may be harmless, it opens the door to other possibilities that may not be so harmless. The possibilities are almost endless as to what they can modify or enhance, and not all of them are good. I guess this makes it fall into the realm of human responsibility, and well quite frankly, humans cannot be trusted with such things since we are so easily corrupted.

 

[Curiosity101]

Rules, laws, regulations.... You're not allowed to just wake up one day and decide to play with the genes of something... So no it's nothing like 'give an inch take a mile...' the 'masses' were sure that testing on embryos would result in cloned humans grown in vats...or oh wait was that pretty much the plot of the matrix...and alien... and frankly many other films.

Eitherways I'm not having a go at all, just trying to say...it's honestly nothing to worry about. And the only people that can disagree with this are the 'puritans' who disagree with man physically changing the genetics of anything. But such people often don't realise just how many things around them are the result of genetic modification.

 

[drobbyb]

There are also laws and regulations making it illegal to make bombs and such, but people do it every day anyway. Just because there is a law doesn't mean that it won't be broken.

It was illegal for Hitler's doctors to perform experiments on human subjects, but it happened.

 

[Curiosity101]

You actually just compared the making of blackmarket bombs and nazi experiments to the genetic modification of fish/animals... Just take it for granted that you can't and wont see any genetically modified animals (particularly in the Uk) due to the number of restrictions and regulations. It could happen yes...but the sophistication and equipment needed to produce viable offspring from genetic modification is way way above the level needed to make a bomb and to experiment on people...

 

[Kipsie]

Now we're on the topic of Hitler, Nazis, and bombs.

Do you think a glofish would school with a group of zebra danios?


Oh, and it's not hard to get them here.
They sell them at many Walmart chains.
People just bag them, put them in the cart with their other groceries, pay for them, and go.
No strict regulations.