Article on Hybrid Fish
- Thread starter xEchOx
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, Good JobI appreciate your efforts to provide insight on this issue and will provide some thoughts on how you can improve your article. Please take my comments as constructive vs. negative.
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Hybrid fish
<For people not familiar with the topic, providing a definition of "hybrid fish" would be helpful. I think it also makes sense to differentiate fish that are intentionally hybridized to create something of aesthetic value vs. random crosses... as well as to differentiate line bred fish vs. hybrids...and all of the issues (with taxonomic revisions, variability across regions of "species", etc. of defining "species".> Hybrid fish have been a controversial topic since day one of their discovery <When were hybrid fish first discovered? Hybrid livebearers have been a staple of the hobby since at least the 1960s>. The conversations and arguements that surround this topic can be heated to say the least. I would like to start out by saying that I have kept both hybrid fish and wild caught, or pure fish. Despite my personal preference, I'd like to believe that the following is an unbiased rendering of my own observations < You make some extremely broad (and unsupported) generalizations throughout this article...>
Early in the hobby, not much was known about hybrid <When was "early in the hobby"? It has been widely known that plants and animals, including cichlids, can hybridize for many, many years. The term "hybrid" entered into popular use in English in the 19th century, though examples of its use have been found from the early 17th century> . They were unheard of and most fish back then were assumed to be pure <Perhaps regional differences / variation weren't as well understood as they are today, but again, this isn't correct>. The general knowledge of fish keeping was still in the growing stages as was the market for tropical fish <Again, when are we talking about? The fish hobby has been around for a LONG TIME - fish clubs have been around since the turn of the century. People have been selectively breeding carp / koi to develop colorful varieties since about 200AD...There are some amazing TFH books from the 1960s. > Successful breeding was not common in the home aquarium because of the lack of information available to research and learn about the process. After some improvements in technology and the ability to gain knowledge at the 'click' of a button, we are able to reproduce (breed) many of the fish we keep ourselves <Really? There wasn't much information prior to the Internet? I recall flowerhorns emerging around the early '90s... well before widespread use of the internet / fish forums. The organized hobby was HUGE back in the 80s> . This inevitabley has led to some species cross-breeding (male and female of different species, breeding) and offspring that are not genetically pure, or 'hybrid'. Today there is a large crowd that favors hybrids and promotes the practice of cross-breeding <Is this any different of a crowd than has been breeding fancy livebearers, discus, angelfish, bettas, goldfish, koi, etc., etc. for many, mean years?> . Naturally, there is also a large crowd that is against the idea of hybrids <Why is this natural...especially since fancy fish, including hybrids, have been part of the hobby for many, many years?>. The two groups have unofficially been called for lack of better terms, "purists" and "hybrid lovers". Not all fish keepers are either a Purist or a Hybrid lover, but these two groups make the middle of the spectrum long indeed. <I don't understand the last sentence>
You close the article by recommending that education is the key. How would better education have solved either of the scenarios that you describe? How will education bring together purists and those who are hybrid enthusiasts? You need to be explicit about your recommendations in order for this to be meaningful...
Again, please don't take these comments as a criticism.
Matt
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Hybrid fish
<For people not familiar with the topic, providing a definition of "hybrid fish" would be helpful. I think it also makes sense to differentiate fish that are intentionally hybridized to create something of aesthetic value vs. random crosses... as well as to differentiate line bred fish vs. hybrids...and all of the issues (with taxonomic revisions, variability across regions of "species", etc. of defining "species".> Hybrid fish have been a controversial topic since day one of their discovery <When were hybrid fish first discovered? Hybrid livebearers have been a staple of the hobby since at least the 1960s>. The conversations and arguements that surround this topic can be heated to say the least. I would like to start out by saying that I have kept both hybrid fish and wild caught, or pure fish. Despite my personal preference, I'd like to believe that the following is an unbiased rendering of my own observations < You make some extremely broad (and unsupported) generalizations throughout this article...>
Early in the hobby, not much was known about hybrid <When was "early in the hobby"? It has been widely known that plants and animals, including cichlids, can hybridize for many, many years. The term "hybrid" entered into popular use in English in the 19th century, though examples of its use have been found from the early 17th century> . They were unheard of and most fish back then were assumed to be pure <Perhaps regional differences / variation weren't as well understood as they are today, but again, this isn't correct>. The general knowledge of fish keeping was still in the growing stages as was the market for tropical fish <Again, when are we talking about? The fish hobby has been around for a LONG TIME - fish clubs have been around since the turn of the century. People have been selectively breeding carp / koi to develop colorful varieties since about 200AD...There are some amazing TFH books from the 1960s. > Successful breeding was not common in the home aquarium because of the lack of information available to research and learn about the process. After some improvements in technology and the ability to gain knowledge at the 'click' of a button, we are able to reproduce (breed) many of the fish we keep ourselves <Really? There wasn't much information prior to the Internet? I recall flowerhorns emerging around the early '90s... well before widespread use of the internet / fish forums. The organized hobby was HUGE back in the 80s> . This inevitabley has led to some species cross-breeding (male and female of different species, breeding) and offspring that are not genetically pure, or 'hybrid'. Today there is a large crowd that favors hybrids and promotes the practice of cross-breeding <Is this any different of a crowd than has been breeding fancy livebearers, discus, angelfish, bettas, goldfish, koi, etc., etc. for many, mean years?> . Naturally, there is also a large crowd that is against the idea of hybrids <Why is this natural...especially since fancy fish, including hybrids, have been part of the hobby for many, many years?>. The two groups have unofficially been called for lack of better terms, "purists" and "hybrid lovers". Not all fish keepers are either a Purist or a Hybrid lover, but these two groups make the middle of the spectrum long indeed. <I don't understand the last sentence>
You close the article by recommending that education is the key. How would better education have solved either of the scenarios that you describe? How will education bring together purists and those who are hybrid enthusiasts? You need to be explicit about your recommendations in order for this to be meaningful...
Again, please don't take these comments as a criticism.
Matt
Good read!
(All of these fish are 'Red Devils'. One is F1 from Ken Davis, and two are hybrids. Can you tell which is which?(qoute) )
It's the one in the middle pic
(All of these fish are 'Red Devils'. One is F1 from Ken Davis, and two are hybrids. Can you tell which is which?(qoute) )
It's the one in the middle pic
it is childish crap of the haters. Only geeks worry about these things and wanna be a part of something.
I love all the fishes I love.. Anybody can talk smack all they want about a fish. Even though some things said are false, the fish dont care and the keeper dont care. I only have time for things i like.
Fish haters need to get a life. Enjoy what they like because life's too short for all tis nonsense.
lol
wait. let me take the time to read whats going on first. lmao i might be off topic.
oh no. it is too much to read. I dont need to know anyway. i just enjoy what i enjoy.
I love all the fishes I love.. Anybody can talk smack all they want about a fish. Even though some things said are false, the fish dont care and the keeper dont care. I only have time for things i like.
Fish haters need to get a life. Enjoy what they like because life's too short for all tis nonsense.
lol
wait. let me take the time to read whats going on first. lmao i might be off topic.
oh no. it is too much to read. I dont need to know anyway. i just enjoy what i enjoy.
