GloFish

[ottawadiscus]

Hi,

Genetically engineered zebra fish;

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=3970339
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/12/04/fluorescent.fish.ap/index.html

This fish is available in Kanata super pet.

Loyed

[Pisidan]

Yeah at 18 bucks a fish..man thats alot for a Danio genetically modified or not LOL!!

[ambushman2j]

The decision to carry this fish is not a popular one at the grass roots, I will leave it at that

[328iGuy]

Why, whats the big deal? IS it considered too much like "cloning"?  It's not natural?

[ambushman2j]

well, I would not say to boycott stores selling the fish..if you are really conserned about it, express your conserns to the manager..that's really all I can say

[ambushman2j]

it's not really considered cloning, more the fact that naturalists don't like when people play God..they feel that what's privided in nature is good enough and there's no reason to mess around with nature to make a few bucks..genetically altered fish are never given away for free right? Flowerhorn, parrot fish, now the glofish..you rarely even see them cheap

[328iGuy]

My question is why are people concered and losing sleep over this fish?

Please elaborate!

[ambushman2j]

I certainly am not losing sleep over this issue, I don't like the fish..I am a naturalist, I understand why stores are selling them, I don't agree with them, but I won't boycott because I do understand "why they are in the store" and I would not want to punish the "drone" workers who have nothing to do with the decision..the glofish I don't beleive is any different then the flowerhorn or the parrotfish, nobody made much of a stink from them..specially the flowerhorn..zebra danios are cheaper and therefore more likely to be readily available

[Troy]

Boycott all stores selling this fish.

Why? Do you think this is any worse then some of the other things the fish trade has done in the past few years? Hormones, dye coloring, strange breeding deformities propagated along to a misshapen fish. The market place will decide if this fish survives. If you do not like it do not purchase it; tell your friends your opinion, But boycotting stores seems extreme. Have you talked to the manager or sales director about how you feel?
Cheers.....Troy.  

[ambushman2j]

I am just curious, do the nature stores in montreal carry this fish right now?

[ambushman2j]

and just as a followup, if you are going to boycott stores who carry glowfish shouldn't you boycott stores carrying any type of altered fish? painted glass tetras (or at this time of year candy tetras), flowerhorn? parrot fish?..if your mad at one type shouldn't you be mad at them all?  in that instance, I beleive you would be boycotting pretty much every store in the city cuz I am sure at some point every store has carried one of those 4 fish

[ambushman2j]

if the stores don't care about you boycotting them, then what is the point of the boycott?

[aidensmomma2000]

I have stores I wont shop in, just because I dont want to hand my money over to THAT store. The store doesnt really suffer if I dont spend my $ there, I'm only one person, and I know that. I think that boycotting them would be more of a personal stand, then a corporate attack perhaps?

[Pisidan]

I think the glo fish are kinda neat..but if you are going to boycott than guess you arent buying vegtables anymore about 90% of veggies are gentically altered to make them more hearty bigger and better tasting...alot of things are gentically modified now the only thing i can say aout it is as long as it is not being put back into the wild I dont think there is anything wrong with it. Lets face it when we breed fish best of the best and cull others we dont like are we not in one form gentically altering the balance. picking the best colours to breed with the best colours? I think it is all a matter of opion I mean alot of fish now adays arent as courful in the wild as they are in our Tanks Bettas are a great example but we have genetically picked which to breed with which to get best results which wouldnt happen in the wild. Anyways to summon it up Im ok with it AS SHOW FISH and not put back in the wild!!

[aidensmomma2000]

*robin high-fives art*

[Pisidan]

LOL!!!  :lol:

[ambushman2j]

well that's fine if your doing it for personal reasons, but to boycott a store because they carry a genetic engineered fish (of which was not created for the purpose of selling in the first place it was created to test water conditions and then someone said hey let's sell this after awhile) but then not boycott other stores who do the same thing but with a different type of fish doesn't seem right..where were all these people who want to boycott when parrot fish came out?  and if they did boycott then why did they return? what about painted glass tetras?  shouldn't these same people have already boycotted all the stores by now?

[aidensmomma2000]

Maybe they have.

[ambushman2j]

Where do fluorescent zebra fish come from?

Fluorescent zebra fish were specially bred to help detect environmental pollutants. By adding a natural fluorescence gene to the fish, scientists are able to quickly and easily determine when our waterways are contaminated. The first step in developing these pollution detecting fish was to create fish that would be fluorescent all the time. It was only recently that scientists realized the public's interest in sharing the benefits of this research. We call this the GloFish™ fluorescent fish.

How common is the use of fluorescent zebra fish in science?

For over a decade, fluorescent zebra fish have been relied upon by scientists worldwide to better understand important questions in genetics, molecular biology, and vertebrate development. Fluorescent zebra fish have been particularly helpful in understanding cellular disease and development, as well as cancer and gene therapy.

What are the differences between fluorescent zebra fish and other zebra fish?

Aside from their brilliant color, fluorescent zebra fish are the same as other zebra fish in every way. This includes everything from general care and temperature preferences to growth rate and life expectancy.

Do fluorescent fish glow?

Fluorescent fish absorb light and then re-emit it. This creates the perception that they are glowing, particularly when shining an ultraviolet light on the fish in a dark room.

Does the fluorescence harm the fish?

No. The fish are as healthy as other zebra fish in every way. Scientists breed them by adding a natural fluorescence gene to the fish eggs before they hatch. The fish is born with this unique color, and maintains the color throughout its life. The color is also passed on to their offspring.

What will happen if a fluorescent zebra fish escapes into the waterways?

Zebra fish are tropical fish and are unable to survive in non-tropical environments. They have been sold to pet owners worldwide for more than fifty years. Despite all these years of aquarium ownership, zebra fish are only found in tropical environments, such as their native India .

What if a fluorescent zebra fish is eaten?

For an animal in the wild, eating a fluorescent zebra fish is the same as eating any other zebra fish. Their fluorescence is derived from a gene that is already found in nature and is completely safe for the environment. Just as eating a blue fish would not turn a predator blue, eating a fluorescent fish would not make a predator fluoresce. However, please remember that fluorescent zebra fish are NOT intended for human consumption.

What will happen to me if I eat one of these fish?

As noted above, fluorescent zebra fish are NOT intended for human consumption; they should never be eaten.

Are you going to create more fluorescent fish?

Scientists all around the world are working with fluorescent fish, whether it's to help protect the environment or come up with new disease-fighting drug therapies. As more fluorescent fish become available, they may be offered for sale to the public.

How can buying these fish help in the fight against pollution?

These fish have already existed for several years and were developed to help fight pollution. By breeding these existing fish, we will allow people to have their own fluorescent fish while promoting the beneficial scientific goals behind their development. In fact, a portion of the proceeds from sales will go directly to the lab where these fish were created in order to further their research—research we hope will help to protect the environment and save lives.

Why are GloFish™ the only fluorescent fish that can be sold in the United States ?

Because fluorescent fish are unique, their sale is covered by a substantial number of patents and pending patent applications. The providers of GloFish™ fluorescent fish, 5-D Tropical and Segrest Farms, are the only distributors that have the necessary licenses to produce and market fluorescent fish within the United States . The production of fluorescent fish by any other party, or the sale of any fluorescent fish not originally distributed by 5-D Tropical or Segrest Farms, is strictly prohibited.

[Troy]

Thanks for the info, Cheers..... Troy