Just a Theory

[Cohazard]

I've seen variation in pectoral fin size and thickness in mokes before. Some had big dumbo like pectoral fins, while others had smaller petite fins. This sort of thing could be bred selectively, and over time you would see some really crazy things comes from it.

 

[probassfisher010]

Try selective breeding to create longfin bichirs, you could actually find success in this endeavor within a life time


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[Nim Dibbley]

I acctually recently watched a documentry about how dogs are more or less wolves that don't mature. Interesting stuff.

Anyways, more or less it could work, but it'd just take a few million years lol


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Yeah, i just watched the same one. they also talked about the foxes someone else mentioned.

 

[Dr.Gonzo4]

If this did become a project i would attempt to find someone to pass the line onto and keep it going, once i wasnt able to. I am going to school for fishery working so I will be working with fish my whole life, ive almost always had either a fish or reptile in the house. Im a fish dude through and through whether its keeping em or catching em, and i will be learning about breeding fish in school and i know a guy who breeds palmas who can help me. I may be able to achieve something out of this, it will basically be my main pet project if i do decide to try this.

As for the other question, has anyone else observed their bichir getting out of water other then just jumping out of the tank? As in on top of a filter or some other decor/equip in your tank that they can get off of easily? I have with my CB Senegal which combined with looking at aoxotls (mexican salamander) at my friends house gave me this whole idea

 

[probassfisher010]

You Might be able to train polys to do what you are seeking by just food training. Put food in shallower and shallower water until they hang out of water such as a betta on a Lilly pad. I just don't think you'll be able to ever actually change polys behavior through breeding, especially with their maturity age being a few years, and the success of poly breeding being quite low...


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[E.C.]

You Might be able to train polys to do what you are seeking by just food training. Put food in shallower and shallower water until they hang out of water such as a betta on a Lilly pad. I just don't think you'll be able to ever actually change polys behavior through breeding, especially with their maturity age being a few years, and the success of poly breeding being quite low...


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+1 behaviors are not that easy to achieve, though the first gen are trained the following generation wouldn't know it as their parents does, unless trained also, and from what I think they do that stuff, going out of the waters, if they're on predating frogs at their natural habitat, surely they may go out for a evening hunt and have a African clawed frog for dinner. But that I think would be on dry season.

The only interesting stuff really spark polys for my fish list is the 'deathroll', seen it for the first time with my sister and we were utterly amazed, I've given a huge chunk of fresh tilapia fillet and they've done that.

 

[Drstrangelove]

40 years and 45,000 foxes later....

So yes, the theory is feasible. I mean, let's say we were to do that to take on the Lionfish problem. Maybe we could selectively breed a fish that would eat only Lionfish? I could see funding for that.

Here's the study by the way.

http://www.americanscientist.org/is...canid-domestication-the-farm-fox-experiment/3

The trait they chose was 35% related to genetics and 65% environment. (Canines inherently are pack animals with the ability to defer and show affinity to other pack members.) I think some traits are far more genetically linked.

The problem with evolution is that it's unpredictable and sometimes you get dead ends. Apparently legs were developed in fish before they went on to land, primates walked upright while they were in trees, etc.


Colors, metabolism and body size are probably easier to change than actual limb functions. But yes, the theory is pretty robust and given time, enough selection force and enough population, sure it's more than reasonable.

Interesting theoretical idea.

 

[Dr.Gonzo4]

+1 behaviors are not that easy to achieve, though the first gen are trained the following generation wouldn't know it as their parents does, unless trained also, and from what I think they do that stuff, going out of the waters, if they're on predating frogs at their natural habitat, surely they may go out for a evening hunt and have a African clawed frog for dinner. But that I think would be on dry season.

The only interesting stuff really spark polys for my fish list is the 'deathroll', seen it for the first time with my sister and we were utterly amazed, I've given a huge chunk of fresh tilapia fillet and they've done that.

An idea the guy at my local LFS gave me when I jokingly brought it up to him, they eat african frogs as was stated, if I could make it so the bichir would have to get out of the water to get the frog, but the frog wasn't able to get in the water, it would encourage them more then just having pellets floating by the shoreline. It does make sense, and that would be an amazing natural act to see

I've watched my bichir deathroll molly just to get it to stop fighting but nothing to tear chunks off larger pieces, I guess I just don't wanna dirty up my tank haha I would love to try that one day with the tilapia

I did manage to hand feed my ornate today surprisingly, I've been hand feeding the red hi fin wolf fish since I got the thing and my ornate must have picked up on it. The wolf was done eating and I tried another one, and the bichir fluttered up to it when the wolf fish ignored it and took it with an audible snap

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[Dr.Gonzo4]

40 years and 45,000 foxes later....

So yes, the theory is feasible. I mean, let's say we were to do that to take on the Lionfish problem. Maybe we could selectively breed a fish that would eat only Lionfish? I could see funding for that.

Here's the study by the way.

http://www.americanscientist.org/is...canid-domestication-the-farm-fox-experiment/3

The trait they chose was 35% related to genetics and 65% environment. (Canines inherently are pack animals with the ability to defer and show affinity to other pack members.) I think some traits are far more genetically linked.

The problem with evolution is that it's unpredictable and sometimes you get dead ends. Apparently legs were developed in fish before they went on to land, primates walked upright while they were in trees, etc.


Colors, metabolism and body size are probably easier to change than actual limb functions. But yes, the theory is pretty robust and given time, enough selection force and enough population, sure it's more than reasonable.

Interesting theoretical idea.

Instead of the actual formation of legs simply more developed pectoral muscles would satisfy me, with a proper tank setup how cool would it be to watch an amphibious bichir?

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[JamesF]

Bichirs have had the ability to venture onto land when needed for a couple hundred million years without any real change. I don't think you'll have much luck trying to push them farther than that in a few generations. Have fun breeding though, and in the unlikely event you succeed, pics or it didn't happen!