![]() ![]() The aquarium industry has turned these fishes’ genetics into a commodity that it markets to us as an innovative way to spruce up our home decor. Like a vacuum, a new car, or a frozen burrito, these fish needed to be branded. Make freshwater fish prettier, more enticing, more consumable. ![]() The goal: Make the look and feel of saltwater tanks more accessible. The moment that Yorktown Technologies, the original company behind the GloFish, entered the picture, this genetic manipulation in the name of science became a gimmick. So are we left with net result of zero in our cost-benefit analysis of GloFish welfare? Not quite. (Imagine a neon orange freshwater fish trying to hide from a predator behind a few strands of seaweed or a pile of grey rocks.) Yet, clearly, fluorescence won’t provide an average tetra with an evolutionary advantage, either. The process of breeding fish from already modified fish is not inherently invasive ( unlike chemically dyeing or injecting inks into fish–two common, but undoubtedly cruel, practices in the aquarium industry that lead to illness and high mortality). They eat, swim, and live just like regular zebrafish, tetras, and barbs. ![]() And let’s not get started on the extensive coral reef damage.īreeding fish in a captive, contained environment seemingly circumvents most of those issues.īut I was still left wondering if, throughout these past two decades of tinkering with the genetics of these tiny beings in a lab, anyone ever stopped to consider a fundamental question: What’s in it for the fish themselves? Admittedly, apart from making them the life of a house party, the modification doesn’t seem to inflict any other known physical changes on them. Plus, more and more consumers are becoming aware of the death and destruction caused by the saltwater fish trade, which pulls over 20 million fish from the waters of places like the Philippines and Hawaii every year and results in six fish deaths per live fish sold due to dangerous and cruel capture and shipping methods. The company’s sales now comprise about 10 percent of the entire aquarium industry.Īnd it’s easy to see why: Many people don’t want the hassle of setting up and maintaining a saltwater aquarium just to enjoy brilliantly colored fish in their living rooms. The GloFish line, from a commercial perspective, has been a massive success. (And a study later attempted to back that up, documenting that non-GMO male fish out-competed GloFish with female mates, which would eventually lead to the disappearance of the fluorescent trait in a population–should a stray GloFish ever make his way into the natural environment, that is.) As I write this, the brand is currently marketing its “Mardi Gras collection” on its website, comprising two Moonrise Pink tetras, two Galactic Purple tetras, and two Sunburst Orange tetras, to commemorate the festive occasion.ĭespite opposition from groups like the Center for Food Safety, the glowing fish made their way to American store shelves with a stamp of approval from officials who claimed that the captive fish posed no threat to wildlife or the food supply. The patented technology eventually caught the eye of the company that would ultimately create and trademark the GloFish, available now in zebrafish, tetras, danios, sharks, and barbs. They inserted fluorescent jellyfish genes into zebrafish, creating the first iteration of glowing freshwater fish. At the turn of the 21st century, scientists from Singapore were attempting to engineer fish who could glow in the presence of certain environmental toxins as a biomarker for pollutants. But their journey to pet store shelves was not quite intentional. These fish were among the first genetically modified animals to have been made available on a commercial scale. Toying with living beings this way hardly seemed harmless. It read like an advertisement for a new car. They get their stunning color from a fluorescence gene and are best viewed under a blue light.” They inherit their harmless, lifelong color from their parents. ![]() And the pet industry lapped it up–but at what cost?Ī couple years ago I stumbled upon the GloFish® website–yes, trademark and all–and I was transfixed by the words: “GloFish® fluorescent fish are born brilliant! They are not painted, injected or dyed. But for people who are itching to adorn their homes with vibrant fish, science came up with an easy solution: fluorescent freshwater fish. And the havoc the exotic fish trade wreaks on tropical sea life is no secret. Saltwater aquariums, though prized for their glorious colors and living reefs, are a massive undertaking. ![]()
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