Ethics of "balloon" fish?

[dogofwar]

There have been "fancy" fish since the beginning of fishkeeping - like 200 AD when people bred carp to have colors, long fins, weird scales, etc.

Balloon fish are no different than any of the other fancy fish out there.

 

[fishhead0103666]

Technically they weren’t abused, they just took the fish from batches that were deformed and would normally be culled, but instead thought it would sell well if they bred the mutants. It did, and a new type of fish was born.

They kept on breeding the deformed fish to have deformed offspring, one could very well argue that that in itself is cruel. If someone was doing that with humans or dogs then people would be grabbing their pitchforks and making a mob to go after them.

I personally do not like *most* short bodies, the only ones I actually like are the ones where they dont look weird with the shortened body.

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

Keeping any animal in captivity is "wrong". If the animal is bred especially with the intent on keeping it in an unnatural environment what does it matter if it doesn't have a dorsal fin or has a round shape? Do you think the fish knows the difference? People are going to continue keeping aquariums, whats wrong with breeding a fish more suited to that kind of life? There are scumbags keeping koi in 300 gallon ponds more suitable to ranchu, is it crueler to keep the koi in too small an enclosure or is it crueler to enjoy the mutant ranchu swimming around like mini manatees in a habitat that will suit them for life?

Eew keeping natural species in an aquarium is so cruel and demented.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

110% no. Terrible. They gmo the spine. They curve it.

 

[DrownedFishonFire]

I really might get crucified for this but why isn’t the FH mentioned?

I find the KOK one of the most ucomfortable looking feature of a fish. Anytime they turn, it jiggles. Is that even considered INHUMANE just like the shortbodied fish?Im the one that voted grey, more bad because its not a natural selection process. I do not own any hybrids, but if I had to, it’s definitely the parrot fish, what a character they are. I like reading their antics by their owners. That’s a pet that kind of is designated to be in aquarium life. I guess. It’s a very mixed thing for me IMO.

 

[xenacanth9]

I really might get crucified for this but why isn’t the FH mentioned?

I find the KOK one of the most ucomfortable looking feature of a fish. Anytime they turn, it jiggles. Is that even considered INHUMANE just like the shortbodied fish?Im the one that voted grey, more bad because its not a natural selection process. I do not own any hybrids, but if I had to, it’s definitely the parrot fish, what a character they are. I like reading their antics by their owners. That’s a pet that kind of is designated to be in aquarium life. I guess. It’s a very mixed thing for me IMO.

I'm not very well-versed in the world of hybrid cichlids like FH so I can't really say anything here

 

[Rtc/tsn]

I'm not very well-versed in the world of hybrid cichlids like FH so I can't really say anything here

I really might get crucified for this but why isn’t the FH mentioned?

I find the KOK one of the most ucomfortable looking feature of a fish. Anytime they turn, it jiggles. Is that even considered INHUMANE just like the shortbodied fish?Im the one that voted grey, more bad because its not a natural selection process. I do not own any hybrids, but if I had to, it’s definitely the parrot fish, what a character they are. I like reading their antics by their owners. That’s a pet that kind of is designated to be in aquarium life. I guess. It’s a very mixed thing for me IMO.

I’ve always thought that it was normal for some fish to grow a Nuchal hump

 

[fishguy1978]

I’ve always thought that it was normal for some fish to grow a Nuchal hump

Yes, it is natural for some but not to the size that FH have been bred to do.

 

[Rtc/tsn]

Yes, it is natural for some but not to the size that FH have been bred to do.

Oh you mean how I’ve seen some FH with one almost bigger than its body

 

[jjohnwm]

Fish with bodies so distorted and fins so cumbersome that they can barely swim...internal organs shoehorned into too-small body cavities...fancy goldfish with bubble eyes or "celestial" eyes or "pompoms" so pronounced they can't see where they are going...red parrots that can hardly close their mouths...ever-weirder hybrids created just for gits and shiggles...

Nah...what could possibly be wrong with that? By all means, carry on.