rare cichlids - I think Z-man means that if both the species and genus are the same it will not become a hybrid even if you are breeding for colorform or finshape. It has to be a cross of 2 different species.
CD - I thought parrots and jellybeans were the same?
I feel that is has gotten to the point where it is ridiculous and something needs to be done.
Species need to be labled as such and hybrids as hybrids.
Dogs, cats and domestic farm animals have been hybridized as have plants and flowers. I don't see it ending nor do I see anyone banning it or putting an end to it.
However it may be high time to split the forum up for discussing species and a separate topic for discussing hybrids.
To most newcomers to the hobby who go to the mega petstore and buy a 10g tank with some fish for their kids , pretty fish like bettas (linebred and mutated) goldfish(just look at some of the monstrosities and tell me where they occur naturally), jellybean parrots, colored glassfish, any veiltail/fin fish etc... will seem appealing and the persons won't know and doesn't care about pure bred.
I don't see it ending just escalating.
If you want to keep pure species then promote it and educate about them - breed true and share . That way we can ensure the true wild species are preserved.
As far as telling the difference between a discus, angel , red devil or others which may or may not be different species, it will take and expert to figure it out and regular people won't just like I can't look at someones ring and say if it is real or fake.
I do agree that research is good and it should be sorted out but to endlessly discuss it doesn't seem to be leading anywere.
Hybrids are here to stay and rather then trying to stop it I feel that proper labeling of fish, promoting good sources like "Tangled up in Cichlids" and promoting the true beauty of the species will help keeping things sorted out.
My feeling is that there are some really nicelooking hybrids out there but a large part of cichlidkeeping is behavioral - to see the fish court eachother and raise their young . That part will be lost in hybrids and there is no way of artificially breeding that back into the stock.