Have you ever heard of a fluorescent neither had I until a few years back until I heard about Glofish. In this article, I will be explaining what they are, debunking some of the myths surrounding them and the history behind these fish, and why I consider them to be a net positive for the fishkeeping hobby. Strap yourselves in because the following bit below will be a bit sciency.
What are Glofish and how are they created?
Glofish are lab-made and meant for keeping as pets, scientists genetically modified these fish by putting a special protein inside the eggs before they hatch called “Green Fluorescent Protein” or GFP for short. The protein is actually from a squid, which gives them the natural glow or fluorescents, especially when viewed under a black light. The glow or color of the fish is naturally inherited from the parent and passes through the offspring. Glofish has many color variants such as Green, Bright Red, Orange, Yellow, and Purple. Now let’s talk about the chemical equation involved in what makes these fish glow. Green Fluorescent Protein or GFP for short contains six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, one phosphorus atom, and one fluorine atom.
There is a protein that helps with the bioluminescent called “luciferase”, which interacts with the above atoms. Luciferase is a photo protein enzyme, which is a protein that helps with the emission of light from a living creature. It is also a catalyst that helps along the glowing reaction we see, Green Fluorescent Protein is nothing new though. It has been used in medical studies for years and is used to detect breast cancer cells deep inside the body. Interestingly enough, Glofish were created to find pollution in rivers and lakes, they would change color when exposed to certain chemicals in the water. So in essence the Glofish went from a science experiment to help with finding environmental pollution and now is become a popular fish in the fishkeeping hobby.
Why are they so controversial in the fishkeeping hobby?
Let’s start with the biggest criticism I have seen levied against these fish, which is they are not “natural”. Yes, sure they might not be naturally occurring fish but are they any less natural than say hybrid fish like Parrots, Flowerhorns, and Polar Parrots? All these tropical fish and many more including those fancy goldfish I mentioned do not naturally occur in nature, the only difference is these fish were line bred and cross-bred over many many generations to give them their unique look. Which in itself is not natural, as cross-breeding and linebreeding rarely occur in nature. And what people do not realize is that linebreeding is just a slower version of inbreeding. It involves the selection of mates on the basis of their relationships to a certain superior ancestor.
The backcross (crossing the first-generation hybrid with one of the parental types) is a common method of inbreeding. This in itself can cause all kinds of issues, a perfect example would be the Dwarf Gourami, which has been inbred so much that it actually has a unique disease called Dwarf Gourami disease caused by the poor genetics due to all the inbreeding. And if we are honest about our hobby nothing we do is actually natural, we keep our fish in glass cages stare at them every day, and spend thousands of rands to keep them alive and happy. The other big criticism I see is that people don’t like the look of the fish, which in itself is a subjective opinion, as most people’s tastes differ. But I do think Glowfish is an attractive fish that would catch the eye of young kids and make a perfect entry into the hobby for them, a sort of stepping stone into the hobby of fishkeeping.
Some common myths and misconceptions about Glofish.
“They are ink injected like glass fish:” Simply not true, earlier in the article I explained their origin and the science behind them. “Their lifespans and behavior are different from those none Glowfish light versions:” Also not true with the exception of the Green Fluorescent Protein, they are exactly the same fish. And the last one is “You are not allowed to breed and sell them:” Also not true, there seems to be some confusion on this one. Yes, you are allowed to breed and sell them, what you are not allowed to do is use the same technology to make your own Glowfish. The company that created them has a legal patent on them.
In closing…
In the end, I believe Glofish has a place in our hobby. Just like the massive variety of hybrid and line-bred fish and fancy goldfish you can find in our hobby. Might not be for everyone but their current popularity has proven otherwise…
