Seen that German Blue Ram/Angel Hybrid?

C

clawlan

Don't harass the sea turtles!
Dec 29, 2006
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16
Atlanta, GA
Man, say this fish in 2 of my LFS and said, why the heck does that German Blue look like an angel? Is is sick? Then I did a little research and sure enough, its a hybrid. I haven't seen it before so I'm guessing that it must be new?

Ram_balloon.jpg
 
wierd. I say, leave well enough alone.....hybrids are for flowers.
 
It's not a hybrid. Just a scenario similar to balloon mollies. Angels and rams are of different genera so crossing of both species is not really possible.
 
They are called Gold Balloon Rams. They were available in an LFS near me which is probably one of the best aquatic stores in the city. I don't know the origin but they look like the balloon blue, just golden.
 
I guess the long fin gene is easy to selectively breed for. I don't like the look personally & combined with the balloon shape is even worse. I don't understand the need to take a beautiful fish like the blue ram & breed out its color either, I've never been attracted to albinos or the "gold" form of any fish. They must sell or they wouldn't have them but I am disappointed see it.
 
the one saw in the store looked identical to a german blue, everything was identical but the body shape was of an angel. I couldn't find a picture online of it, thats why i pasted that one above.
 
The gold form of the microgeophagus ramirezi is a natural color variety... they haven't bred the gene out as much as isolated it and used it to make gold rams. Same species... just another color form. The balloon shape is the malformed swim bladder gene that has been isolated and used to create this new shape. Some bob around in the water like corks, but I supposed I've expressed my dismay about these fish and shouldn't bother again.

The long fins are just another isolated gene, but at least line breeding for long fins doesn't cause a degradation of the species.

Cathy
 
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