Re: Hybrids

[Billinet at aol_com]

Wayne said, in part:

" . . .  I would say that any breeder that passes hybrids off as pure stock 
is 
committing fraud and is definitely unethical but individuals should be free 
to 
make up their own minds about the ethics of breeding fish for looks."

This raises another problem:  If the genes from a hybrid find their way into 
the gene pool, the wholesaler or the retailer might not know that they were 
selling a hybrid if it looked normal.  We have that now in the Xiphorous 
genus, where swordtails and platys have been interbred for so long that there 
are probably no pure individuals available unless they are wild-caught.

And, there seems to be some confusion about the difference between selective 
breeding within a species to produce a certain characteristic, and 
hybridization, where different species are bred, either naturally or in a 
test tube.  

The former presents little danger since the desired characteristic would  
probably limit the survivability of the fish in the wild (like large tails on 
some guppies and the bubble eyes on some goldfish); the latter, however, 
could do great harm if the individuals are fertile.

I suggest that the hybridization of fish not be encouraged.

Bill