My reason for posing the question of hybrid rainbowfish was to reassure
myself regarding certain decisions I made w.r.t. the management of my
companies farm. And I guess I was not just referring to hybrids (that is:
offspring arising from adults that you define as genetically distinct -
species, subspecies or tribes, etc), but also to selectively bred animals
(for example a long finned M. praecox).
I'm not really in favour of hybrid rainbowfish, however they are marketed. I
support Harro and the IRG actions regarding the illegal and immoral naming
of hybrid bows to enhance their marketability. (And yes Harro I was very
aware of your expertise in livebearers and other areas)
Yet I will not be convinced by anybody that the F1 to Fx generations of true
species bred in aquarium (or farm - no particularly farm) situations are
true representatives of that species. Their behaviour appears to change.
They forget how to forage for wild foods. Perhaps they forget what defines
an ideal natural breeding location, and even an appropriate spawning season.
They may loose alleles with successive generations (ie loose genetic
diversity). This is very likely unless we start with at least 4 females and
4 males and we manage these fish so that each individual mates which all
individuals of the opposite sex and that each contributes equally to the
next generation. And so on for each generation. This is bloody difficult to
organise and achieve.
What I am implying is that aquarium bred fish are potentially as untrue
examples of the "real thing" as are hybrids. It is also the reason that I am
placing greater emphasis in maintaining red-finned blue-eyes in the wild
than in supporting captive populations.
Having said that I am also a realist. I believe that humans are destined to
manage the entire biosphere in order to survive. Although it is unlikely I
will ever have the resources to prove it, I believe that human activities
have already modified the behaviour of red-finned blue-eyes in their natural
environment.
So we do the best with what we've got. We try and breed true species because
it suits us to do so. We do the best that circumstances allow, even if it is
only one bow breeder for every twenty keepers. We breed and select colour
varieties of fishes and of animals because it suits us to do so, or it is
profitable, or they are pleasing to us.
Back to our farm. If we breed rainbowfish we would probably select for a
fish that has an overstated colour and large fins, eats a lot and excretes
little, has no brain, spawns like praecox, and is as tough as a junk yard
dog. I'm sure the mug fish keepers would love it, but I'm not yet sure I
could live with myself if I did so. So we decided to breed colour varieties
of swordtails (and sometimes hybridise them with other livebearers to gain
different traits) because we don't really care about them (Sorry Harro,
Rhonda and others). We decided not to breed rainbowfish for the aquarium
trade because we do care about them.
Thanks for listening - birth really is a moving experience. Oh and I think
each of your opinions are worth far more than two cents :-)
Byee
Rob