"GloFish" Where do you stand?

[SomeGuy88]

Sure i would go buy one. I completely agree with aquariumfishguy. The fish are not in pain, they just look cool. We eat genetically enegenered veggies every day, no one seems to have a problem with that. They are just regular Danios with a cool colour. Well thats my opinion.

-Dan

 

[xiliquiern]

I don't think I would buy one. I am against genetic playing-around-with.

 

[aquariumfishguy]

xiliquiern:

As I said, you might want to hand catch all your fish in the local streams if that is the case.

 

[xiliquiern]

I'm not against genetic selectivity (purebred and breeding for best color, shape, etc). I don't really care for things that scientists went in and altered, that's all. I don't think many fish have their genes and chromosomes spliced and sliced, at least not that I know of. I'll have to look into this. If you have any information on it, I would definitely like to read it.

 

[NatakuTseng]

I thought I would mention this, the rumor that has been spread around that they are sterile is false. I've seen offspring from them from a VERY reputable breeder but I won't mention names. They were brought to an auction, and he informed all of us there of how he did it, and that there was a 50/50 ratio essentially of normal danios and ones that carried the color. So the fish aren't infertile.

 

[SimonWoodstock]

do people actually believe there are not other species of fish out there that are genetically modified?

What do you mean by genetically modified? Are you talking about selective breeding, or genetic engineering? They are two different things.

 

[Seaman]

Actually they are both very similar, one just using a way more "modern" way of altering the genes in a way that makes the fish more attractive. In my opinion those fancy goldfish are just as bad if not worse, so why arent people sooo against those. First off, its all "manipulating" genes, and seccond the way the genes have been manipulated in the goldfish make life hard on the fish even in the home aquarium, where as the glofish dont have any less quality of life than a regular danio. That said I wouldnt buy any, I dont find them attractive, and to whoever said that if another fish eats a glofish they will get it....wrong thats not how genes work. Getting loose and breeding in the wild, is highly unlikely IMO, first off even 2 glow fish only produce 50% glowing babies, and the chance that 2 glowfish meet in the wild, that havent been eaten for the fact that they couldnt hide, is very unlikely....and glowing fry have little chance of survival in the wild. Just my .02 though

 

[SimonWoodstock]

Main Entry: genetic engineering
Pronunciation: -"en-j&-'nir-i[ng]
Function: noun
: the group of applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology used to cut up and join together genetic material and especially DNA from one or more species of organism and to introduce the result into an organism in order to change one or more of its characteristics

Selective breeding in domesticated animals is the process of developing a cultivated breed over time.

In a way, I guess, you can say they are similar. One way is out of natures control completely, one is nearly completely affected by nature. Their is no possible way a danio could get those traits in nature, but there is a possiblity that some of the selective breeding results could have taken place (unlikely, but it is a posibility). I don't really consider them to be close to the same thing.

 

[Seaman]

Well you really shouldnt quote the process of each technique, all in all in the end "methods" are to change the apperance of the fish for our liking. That is all, the reason I said the glo fish were better in my mind, is because atleast they started out with a good scientific reason....unlike the fancy gold fish wich are altered just for looks. Again im not arguing if its right, im arguing that in the end its different methods for "similar" results.

 

[aquariumfishguy]

I agree, in regards to each one of those methods (or "terms") bringing the same outcome. You cannot release either fish type in the wild anyway, so what difference does it make. As said, you are ultimately changing their appearance for our satisfaction. If someone feels better about one method, but bad about something such as glow fish... they are allowed to feel this way, but it makes no sense to me.