What are your feelings towards Hybrid fish?

[Vip]

Im inbetween it. I didnt like the fact of the Flowhorn but when you look at it, how can you hate it? But then you think about what alot of these fish went through to create this moster of a fish.
If we were to hear of a new fish they were making would we be against it right up untill we see the outcome?

 

[moneywastedonfish]

i just dont understand why one would want a hybrid.
The chances of disese are greatly increased. Although most hybrids are infertile and would likely die in the wild if any were released into the wild they could introduce genes to the genepool that could take years to erradicate,if ever.
One only has to look at aquaculture, which uses already established species, there are grave fears that even aquacultured samon have lost genes due to the reduced gene pool in captivity, if any of these were released there are claims that certain traits might become more or less prevelent, possibly upsetting the balance of the oceans.

Also flower horns are in my opinion butt ugly. No offense vip i love your tanks and pics, there are so many beautiful natural fish why spend $275 on a genetically engineered monster?
Just my opinion.

 

[Vip]

there are so many beautiful natural fish why spend $275 on a genetically engineered monster?
Just my opinion.

You know what, i dont think i could have said it better myself. Even for a little 2" flowerhorn your looking at about $60. No offence taken towards me dude i havnt got the bucks to spend the cash on one.
With what you were saying about releaseing these guys into the wild is 100% correct as well, in malasia they put them in the rivers to kill off some fish (Cant remember witch one is was) but insted its killing the skakehead, what fish is going to take on a pack of flowerhorns?

 

[Fiddlesticks]

I have no problem with hybrid fish themselves. Some times fish in an aquarium breed when you dont expect it, and they are after all still living things that didnt ask to be brought into the world. My problem is with people who purposly mate them for profit. I would probably take one that needed a home but would never buy one because that only lends support to the idiots who are getting rich off them.

 

[moneywastedonfish]

i dont think these are the results of crossbreeding, these are people splicing genes in order to combine traits of both fish. I think it is plain nasty, think of the failures - poor things could be missing vital characteristics.
Also the 'success' aint that great either, aggresiveness a problem.

if people are willing to pay exhorbinate prices for mutants go for it, but it is only encouraging them to continue.

 

[JamesTasker]

I've heard a lot about flowerhorns but I have never actually seen one. Does anyone have a picture?

I think that hybrid fish are OK as long as they are kept in aquariums and never released into the wild, where they could cause damage.

 

[moneywastedonfish]

a link to a few pictures, err type it in dont know how to link.

http/www.cichlids.com/info/Flowerhorn

Hybrid cichlids can cause a number of potential problems in the hobby.



1. The demand for "new" and "different" breeds of hybrids such as the flowerhorn has lead to a number of cruel practices including tattooing of fish, removal of tails or eyes and intentional damage to the spine.


2. They make identification of similar cichlids difficult. The cichlids of genus Aulonocara are a good example of the potential problems associated with identification. The presence of many hybrid Aulonocara would make identification almost impossible.


3. Hybrid cichlids have the potential to be acidentally bred with "pure" species lines. This has already occured in a number of cichlids commonly kept in the hobby, for example, Vieja synspilus or Amphilophus citrinellum.


4. The cichlid keeping hobby has responsibilities to the fish it is dedicated to in ecological terms. Although not currently standard practice, pure species may, in the future, be required for re-introduction to habitats currently under threat from urban development.


5. Some hybrid fish exhibit particularly deformed anatomical features which lead to troubles feeding, swimming and undertaking behaviour normal to these fishes. This is of considerable moral and ethical concern.

 

[wrs]

i dont see whats wrong with them. theyre fish. i read on a forum to destroy baby hybrids. thats sad, because the fish didnt do anything wrong. if these fish arent going to get diseases or be extremly agressive, and you know what to keep them with then there should be no problem with them.

 

[Lateral Line]

This article is a good read on hybrids.

 

[parker313]

I think if it's a naturally occurring hybrid as in "I had 2 different corydoras species that spawned and now I have a bunch of fry" that's a whole different ballgame than when you get into gene splicing and genetic engineering.

 

[JamesTasker]

Yuck, flowerhorns are freaky

 

[JoKeR]

FlowerHorns..Are nice...But the fact of the pain they went through..well..

 

[JobySp]

This article is a good read on hybrids.

Fantastic article.

I wasn't even aware that all dogs are from the same species... You learn something new everyday.