"Night Pearls" Follow-up ?s

[ChilDawg]

Can we get these in the States yet?

If yes, (a) how much?

(b) Where?

(c) Are reproductively intact ones available as well?

[valerie]

Whats a night pearl?

[ChilDawg]

Genetically altered Zebra Danios to which cnidarian genes have been added in order to make them phosphoresce.

Here's the thread about them (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14134).

[valerie]

And you want to buy some?

[ChilDawg]

I might want to buy some of them...I am not anti-GM in most ways and I find these fish to be an interesting application thereof...plus they would be a fun tank to enjoy...so long as the phosphorescence doesn't affect the quality of their lives in any way, shape, or form.

[JP457]

I thought the glow genes came from ctenophora... anyway I dont think that they were aproved for sale by whoever does that yet.

[ChilDawg]

They're approved for sale in Taiwan, so I wasn't sure if they had made it over here yet...

[JP457]

I meant the US. The government can be realy picky about what they aprove for sale and Im sure there are some ethical issues with genetically altered fish. They may never aprove them because of what might come next like tropicals that can take cold water

[ChilDawg]

Yeah, I know...if I can get an import business up (or an established interested in importing these things), I might just try to force the start of this process...

[ChilDawg]

Here's the deal -- they're called TK-1 fish, and they're already being sold in other nations (but have been confiscated by Singapore's government). Britain will apparently get them by the end of the year...

[ChilDawg]

I guess that they're being sold in So. Cal. now...I know someone on another board who saw them at his LFS. I wonder if this is a legal sale...and, if so, why? Is the government not caring? Or not watching? Either way, at $25/fish, it's not a great deal on Zebra Danios, but I guess they'd make interesting conversation pieces, if nothing else.

[ChilDawg]

My bad, $25/fish was the initial projection. $15/fish is the actual cost.

[iron chef]

Originally posted by ChilDawg
(c) Are reproductively intact ones available as well? [/B]

From what I have read they are all sterilized. the manufacturer understands that you don't want the muties to breed with the wild type. it would be pretty irresponsible to sell fertile specimens.

[ChilDawg]

I would hope that serious hobbyists would be able to lay hands on non-sterilized ones...

[Haggisman]

Originally posted by ChilDawg
Here's the deal -- they're called TK-1 fish, and they're already being sold in other nations (but have been confiscated by Singapore's government). Britain will apparently get them by the end of the year...

Really? I might get a couple.....just to.....see;)

[ChilDawg]

It will be interesting to see how they behave in a tank. I'd be interested in getting a whole bunch in a 55 or something...

[Haggisman]

And they are just zebra danios but luminous?

[ChilDawg]

Sorta...but they have jellyfish genes inserted...I don't know if that'd change their behavior.

[Haggisman]

Dont see why they would behave differently.Wonder if both males and females will be sterile or just the males(like blood parrots).

I think I'll do a bit of reasearch on these.

[ChilDawg]

From what I've read, I think that they've been sterilized by the breeder.

[JamisonBWolsh]

I hardly ever post anymore. But here is some info on this species called TK-1 (glow in the dark zebra danios).

A local Dealer here in southern California DID recieve a shipment and sold them all. Once the Government found out, they now have BANNED this fish in the aquarium trade in the states. Their reason being the genetic alteration of Dna. They are afraid that this new strain will breed with the "normal" zebra danios and this can become "dangerous" (this is what the dealer told me anyway). I would be interested to know if they are Legal in Canada???

At $15 for one, this can be a bit pricey :)

[ChilDawg]

So are they going to let Notre Dame continue the genetic experiments on ZDs, or will they make NDU get rid of that as well?