I tend towards the "au natural" side, myself. I think that the "manufacturing" of specialty fish is cruel - and playing God.
But there are plenty of "high tech" aquarists out there, and they've been ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the latest greatest technologically-enhanced fish for decades. For example, painted glass fish, which you can find for sale in virtually any pet store, aren't a natural occurrence. Their vibrant neon colours come from injected dyes!
The newest "designer" tropical fish definitely takes the cake. It is commonly called the "GloFish" because it, quite simply, glows in the dark.
| The GloFish is a form of zebra danio (common tropical fish) that literally glows in darkened conditions and under certain lighting. These fish are genetically modified and were created and trademarked by Yorktown Technologies (with the National University of Singapore). While the effect may look intriguing, one must wonder if we can fully understand the overall impact such an animal may have if released into the wild. The GloFish is incapable of reproduction, which in and of itself tells you it's definitely unnatural. Fish are born to breed! |
GloFish and other genetically modified creatures have been given the name "transgenic pets", and they're igniting tremendous controversy around the world. This is because unlike other technologically-enhanced fish, the GloFish is manipulated at the genetic level. So where critters like painted glass fish mostly cause controversy with consumers (who are either all for the dye injections or think the injections are cruel) the GloFish is causing controversy in governments, trade organizations, and more.
The GloFish is now available on sale in America, and in other countries. The FDA has said it will not place any restrictions on the sale (prompting activists to sue the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services), but individual states are putting their feet down. California recently banned the sale of GloFish within its borders. Japan has great concerns about the fish, and even Singapore-where the fish was created-has been reluctant to approve its sale.
| What happens when one of these little guys makes it into the wild? No-one knows. It's impossible to predict. They cannot breed, which is a good protection against GloFish genes making their way into the general population. But a creature doesn't have to breed to have tremendous impact-positive or negative-on an environment into which it is released. Though many governments are urging their citizens not to release their GloFish into the wild, it's only a matter of time before someone does. |
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