Not here to criticize the original post, but I agree with Duane, except that when breeding it's almost inevitable that you'll get the odd, short bodied individual as a rarity, just as you might get split fins on a few, or some other occasional degree of deformity or imperfection. I don't have an issue with someone giving such an individual a chance in their own tanks, or buying a fish when it's small and harder to detect that it's going to be deformed, then keeping that fish. My issue is with breeding them intentionally for sale. I get that it's a novelty for some and that many who buy fish aren't experts or serious or aquarists, and neither do they aspire to be. They just want a few fish in a tank, a lot of us started that way. But it makes them susceptible to fads. And I get that for some breeders and in some cultures the whole idea is to create the next color pattern in goldfish, discus, or bettas. My issue is with the breeders and the industry promoting and profiting by fads, virtually preying upon the casual buyer, instead of educating them and encouraging appreciation for the natural world and the opportunity to have a little bit of nature in their home.
