News

"Is it just me, or do they look really ugly! I wouldn't buy one even if they were legal in the UK"

"why do people do it
its just wrong"

"What horrendous looking fish. Its a shame there is a market for this sort of thing"

"I was looking for the :rolleyes: smiley, but couldn't find it."

"Its a pity our goverment is so antiquated these would look GREAT in a big tank in the living room!
To anyone that objects to these modified fish - STOP KIDDING YOURSELF we keep fish in aquariums not in wild conditions and these fish look VERY healthy, this should be the main consideration for anyone keeping ornamental fish. Note the word ORNAMENTAL without colour morphs there would not be half the fish currently available and thats all these are - a man made morph, no one is eating them and they do not get into the food chain so why object to great looking fish? Not cruel in the slightest and the knowledge gained will help science develop.

best regards
Laurie"

"Wow!

These would look great in my next aquascape complete with fluorescent pink and blue gravel. Like technicolour vomit.

But seriously, man's futile attempt to improve on nature to cater for those with poor taste never ceases to amaze me.

This is taking the 'ornamental' side of the hobby much too far, in my view, but sadly it's a reflection of what some people want."

"scoboyh u say the fish look healthy but how many have suffered or killed to get to this just to please people who have no respect for nature"

"I am waiting form them to come up with a blinking head & tail light tetra.
Wouldn't these cichlids look great in a paludarium?
Genetically I think they will do all sorts of things with tropical fish.Why not a discus with the strips & colours of a cardinal tetra.? Splicing genes, thats what it is all about. Thanks!"

"I think for the lifestyle fishkeeper these are perfect, tacky and nasty looking! Where can I buy some? :o)"

"gimptastic matt, the article shows how they developed them - no mention of anything being killed or suffering to get there as its all genetics. I do not like deformed fish nor tollerate "painted" or tatooed fish but when anyone can produce a healthy fish of unusual colour then it has to be taken at face value. There would be virtually no livebearers in the shops otherwise, not to mention all the gouramy colour morphs along with every goldfish.
The genetic reserch done means a lot to the future - now they can tell and possibly repair human genetic defects preventing suffering for a large percent of the population. The more research done the more knowledge gained the quicker we can ease or eliminate suffering of people, if this means a few "out the box" coloured fish then so be it as far as I am concerned!

best regards
Laurie"

"And the gloves are off...."

"This is one of the most outrageous things I've seen in the hobby.
Maybe it could have been nice and challenging to whomever was involved, but, to me, so far, it's absolutely pointless pretty much like these deformed goldfish as it seems that all this was meant to be done just for the hobby market and in any way thinking ahead. There's no mentioning about any substantial scientific benefit from that, so far.

Natural colour selection by selective breeding is much more harmless than this, even when it has some awful results like that entirely blue M. ramirezi. That was men playing God, for sure, but in a much more "natural" way so to speak (I'm guessing hormones or inks aren't involved...).

Unfortunately, we can't blame it just on the "scientists" that did that. It wouldnt happen if we didn't have the other half - people that buy these creatures.

I really hate when men start playing God. They never get the rules of the game right."

"I'm really stuggling to see how Fluorescent cichlids will help mans quest for improved genetic science? Its jut a money making scheme and the fish look horrendous, but sadly I'm sure there will be a market! They are not a line bred variant, they are an out and out genetic modification. Now I'm all for genetic science if it is for a specific purpose, but ugly day glow fish does not fall in this category for me!"

"Posted by marcusbacus.
"I really hate when men start playing God. They never get the rules of the game right."
What like doing heart transplants, etc? I suppose making life or death decisions for higher life forms is a bit like that e.g. Doctors
They do need to gain the knowledge and experience of doing it to do it well though, expect thats the bit you object to marcus.
As long as the fish do not suffer in anyway from it I have no objections. I remember the blushing angels of years ago - they were lovely but like most other true strains people got bored keeping them and reverted to mixing parentage. Same as the wonderfull swordtails of years ago - you can still look through books and see the photos but try finding the same fish, all you get is mixed colours and small males.

best regards
Laurie"

"How does glow in the dark fish help Science?
I thought they had already shown that Fish become "Stressed" with "Unnatural" colours in the tank now they can't get away from the "Unnatural" colours.
Glowing in the dark is Unnecessary and is of no benifet to the fish. A heart transplant saves a life. We do operate on animals to save their lives, not just humans. We don't make glow in the dark babies or cats just because a few people would think that it looks better.
I'm sure that if they could they would create genetically enhanced people to make them Better looking, Healthy, Stronger, Faster and Smarter.
But when they do what will be the point of us?"

"I don't understand the pro-torture and forced deformity fetishism in the far east - why anyone would want to keep these creations when there are so many thousands of natural fish to keep is beyond me.
Perhaps there is a business opportunity here, you could sell tanks with glass that distorts like circus "hall of mirrors", with a different distortion on each pane of the tank then you add some standard community fish and hey presto your own chamber of aquatic horrors. (any manufacturers interested in this project - please forward me 25% via the PFK website)."

"I wonder what the poor fish think of it ? Was a convict not called so because of its stripes ? Not much of a convict now. These fish are for fun and not for the serious fishkeeper..."

"Quite simply if the Trade gets away with this, in time they'll be producing fish that will be GM modding for other characteristics like colour, size, etc.

As I understand it GM ornamental fish are banned in this country. But are they banned from being sold if imported?

Any loophole in the law and our local chain retailers will be stocking them for the majority of customers who are just casual fish buyers and who can't see what is wrong with a glowing fish!"

"Blimey looks like the locals have found their pitchforks then....lets hope fluorescent Koi are produced before the witchfinder general turns up. At least there would finally be a true breeding colour strain of Koi eh?

best regards
Laurie"

"Laurie...your out on a limb with this one! Koi strains...and the manner in which they are produced, via very careful selected breeding....has absolutely no comparison to genetically modified fish like this."

"Quote from Galaxy
"Koi strains...and the manner in which they are produced, via very careful selected breeding"
You cannot call this a strain Galaxy, they are often sold by phenotype but this is not a genotype. Often the breeders will appear as "b" grade Koi due to their poor colours but will be the ones that throw the highest incedence of colour the breeders can find and hence be their "proven" breeding stock. Take for example two "Kohaku" Koi, breed them and examine the colours produced - the will be random with probably a very low percent being Kohaku if any. Look at the genetically modified fish that were previously on the market - all breed true to the same colour and so can be called a "strain", something that Koi cannot hence my comment "finally be a true breeding colour strain of Koi".

best regards
Laurie
P.S. You are right about me being out on a limb though, I never realised how anti the public were about technological advancement - so strange in this computer age where I thought I was the one behind the times."

"I think scientists should turn it up a notch and start producing fish with other animal patterns on them like tigers, cheetahs etc. They would put these fluorescent fish in the dark!"

"I am new here ,but not to fish. The glow light danios have been around here in the in States for several years and I have not seen anything wrong or cruel with them. So these fish will most likely be the same way. I am 100% against the tattooing and dying with bright colors on fish, but the altering of the genetics on fish is not painful and is just science pushing the new boundaries of technology. It is less harmful than over collecting wild fish, so the hobby can have clown loaches and other fish that mainly come from the wild in their tanks. Just my opinion. Mike"

"Laurie, thanks for the info about koi but there is still no relation to them and GM day glow fish. Also....I wouldn't call making fish glow a technological advancement....not in the slightest!"

"I think this is very wrong if you keep fish in a tank you try to make
the fish look as if they are in there natrale habatant they look better that way man interferes to much in thing like this
abley1"

"Here is further information on the website of the company that will be marketing the fluorescent cichlids.

http://www.ornamentalfish.com.tw/index.asp?au_id=24"

"Looks like the next stop will be cats and dogs - at least you won't need to be shouting in the dark for rover - you could spot him a mile away!

best regards
Laurie"

"i wonder how the fish feel about this. i would go absolutly nuts within 3 days of trying to find that dam light that keeps shinning in my eyes while im trying to sleep, only to realise its me."