>Cary and all of the RML,
> this does bring up a question in my mind. If we do this kind of
>culling are we artificially selecting strains of bows and thereby loseing
>some genetic variability? Most of the populations being maintained
>probablly came from a handfull of fish, which may already create a
>deprevation of genetic diversity. In the side of species maintenance it
>would make sense not to cull drastically, but are we in a damed if you do
>or don't situation as most of us can not create the "natural enviroment" in
>which natural selection (i.e. for the males that have the brightest
>colors/secondary sexual characteristics. I am sure this topic has been
>covered before my interaction with the list, but I am sure there are people
>that want to know (those of us that did not go to San Fran this year ;-)
No, we can't achieve what natural selection does in our tanks. But we
can cull for fish outside the norm of the wild natives. This means
don't breed the ones that are over colored or under colored, based on
the wild type. I don't think its really the male with the brighest
colors that gets most of the females, but the males with the correct
cues. And overly colored males would be just as unlucky in the wild as
an under colored male. Also cull out for abnormal fins, scales, body
shape, etc. Basically cull out any trait that isn't typically found on
the wild fish. I do know that most breeders are culling for super
color and fins, but this can do as much damage as no culling. In my
eye the natural forms are the best forms. Super enhanced just holds
little appeal for me.
Cary Hostrawser
My Rainbowfish Home Page
http://pw2.netcom.com/~caryho/home.html
Rainbowfish Study Group Web Page
http://home.stlnet.com/~gwlange/rainbowfish.index.html