[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

RE: NANFA-- wild tropical fish vs. domestic tropical fish



> From time to time I see folks requesting wild fish as 
> opposed to domesticated
> (?) tropical fish.  What are the advantages and disadvantages to each?

The worst effect of domestication is inbreeding.   Brothers and sisters
are crossed, or parents and their progeny.  Or desirable traits are
intentionally selected by the breeder.  As a result, many tropical fish
populations in the industry are not the same fish as their wild
counterparts.  This is analogous to the situation with the domestic
turkey and the wild turkey.  They are the same animal, but very
different at the same time.  

A few months ago I was interested in this subject enough to research it
a little and write an article.  If you are interested, you'll find that
article at this address:  http://www.nanfa.org/editjayd.htm

I'm a fisheries biologist, not a geneticist, so I had a geneticist
review the article before it was printed.  This is the same article
which was in the Feb 1998 American Currents entitled "Endangered Species
Reintroductions: The Need for Good Science".   

My bottom line-- One must observe genetic and ecological guidelines, and
adopt spawning protocols based on present scientific knowledge.  In
addition, if you don't address the cause(s) of the species' initial
decline in numbers, you are ignoring the real problems and probably
wasting your time.

Jay DeLong
Olympia, WA, USA