Unpretentious and bright fish have long adorned the homes of many fans of the underwater world. And not surprisingly, observing a small pond calms, relieves stress and stimulates the selection of new pets.
More recently, fishes, whose radiant color was created thanks to human scientific experiments, have become popular. Let's try to find out which fish glow in the aquarium, why this happens and whether it is difficult to care for them.
How did they come about?
At the end of the 20th century, many countries conducted experiments to study the DNA of various animals.
In 1999, scientists at the National University of Singapore studied the genome of a species of Pacific jellyfish that has the ability to fluoresce in the dark. They managed to isolate the gene responsible for the synthesis of green radiant protein. It was he who became the reason why the fish glow.
Scientists then introduced the isolated gene into a small aquarium variety of zebrafish. Not immediately, but it was possible to bring out fish that, by a color change, signaled a deterioration in water parameters and the appearance of extraneous toxins.
For the first time, such individuals were presented at a scientific forum as an example of successful genetic engineering. However, creatures created for purely research purposes, interested representatives of a large company engaged in the sale of goods for lovers of aquariums.
GloFish Project
A few years later, in 2003, zebrafish were bred, fluorescent with scarlet and yellow light. Scientists were able to achieve this by "mounting" in them the gene of sea coral, responsible for red radiation. And successful experiments with DNA of jellyfish and corals gave the world orange glowing fish.
Anticipating the commercial success of these studies, scientists and business representatives signed a contract and created a new trademark - GloFish (from glow- “glowing, shining” and fish- “fish”). Company management is located in Hong Kong, and unusual luminous fish, which began to be in great demand, settled in many aquariums.
Not only zebrafish
Further experiments conducted on unpretentious zebrafish made it possible to create their blue and violet genetically modified relatives.
The next fish luminous in the dark were larger creatures - thorns. For several years, more than five colors of these funny rounded "flashlights" were displayed. After them came the turn of cocky barbs, more finicky to the conditions of aquarium keeping.
By this time, many aquarists liked bright fish and GloFish began to develop and produce new decorations to help make the small underwater world more colorful.
The names of luminous fish were also invented by beautiful and memorable ones: Starfire Red (red starfish), Sunburst Orange (orange ray) or Galactic Purple (purple galaxy).
Fancy scalars
The first successful experiments on changing the genome of fish were carried out on small schooling species, characterized by active and successful reproduction. Therefore, after a few years, new generations of luminous fish successfully transferred the changed DNA to their descendants.
Things got more complicated when scientists decided to change the gene structure of one of the types of aquarium cichlids. These magnificent fish with high fins, similar to sails, have long been registered in the homes of many lovers of the underwater world.
For keeping the scalars special parameters of water or temperature are not needed, and they spawn quite willingly, so the scientists decided to continue the experiment on them. And faced with minor difficulties. These large fish during spawning release a very small amount of eggs (compared to the same zebrafish) and the process of conservation and transmission of the altered genome was slow. But in the end, science defeated nature and a new kind of luminous individuals successfully appeared on sale.
Fish care
Despite the unusual appearance, caring for such altered pets will not tire the owner. The changes almost did not affect the behavior and habits of the fish, they can be fed with conventional feeds, and they can be kept together with the usual inhabitants of the aquariums.
Due to the fact that the gene of tropical organisms is introduced into the fish organism, they prefer warmer water, 28-29 ° .
You can feed both dry and frozen food (bloodworms, artemia, daphnia). As with ordinary fish, it is better not to overfeed the luminous ones and do a water change in the aquarium once every two weeks. It is desirable to have living plants in which pets can take refuge.
Content and Compatibility
Three species of altered luminous fish are schooling. Once alone, species such as zebrafish and thorns become lethargic, they lose their appetite and even their death is possible.
Therefore, it is better to settle pets in small flocks, 6-8 fish of each species. Moreover, the difference in color does not affect the comfortable coexistence of fish.
You should not place small luminous individuals and larger predators in one aquarium. For example, cichlids are always ready to hunt for noticeable colored lights.
With age, the luminous fish color becomes brighter and more saturated. When reproducing in artificial conditions, the kids inherit the color of their parents.
In nature, the color and shape of the body of females and males is different, therefore, it is not difficult to determine the sex of a fish even for an inexperienced aquarist. GloFish instances are more complicated. Artificially added color is the same for both sexes. Nevertheless, it is possible to distinguish - females have a more rounded abdomen.
How to equip an aquarium?
Demand for luminous fish is constantly increasing. Therefore, in order to highlight their unusualness, manufacturers offer a lot of decorative ornaments. These are bright artificial plants, soil of unusual shades, even containers with neon lights.
However, experienced aquarists do not advise much to get involved in such decorations, in such an aquarium luminous fish can simply get lost.
Very beautifully colored pets look on the background of light soil, best of white sand and a dark background. Saturated greenery of underwater plants also sets off well the unusual "highlighting" of individuals. Of course, these fish are very unpretentious, but they will appreciate natural plants and good nutrition.
The only thing that the owner of new species will additionally need is special aquarium lamps. Under normal lighting, the bodies of the fish do not shine; lamps with ultraviolet radiation reveal all their beauty.
Not just gene experiments
Long before the creation of luminous fish with a modified genome, a small pet shone in home aquariums - blue neon. For the first time this tiny handsome man was discovered in the waters of a tropical river in South America back in 1935. Since then, these little fish-lights have firmly settled in home aquariums. But not all the neon glows, along its body passes a bright fluorescent strip of blue.
There are still red varieties that are somewhat larger and with a more pronounced burning line. But they are less popular among aquarists because of the difficulty in breeding.
In addition to neons, there are several other types of aquarium fish that can glow under certain lighting conditions. This is a tetra flashlight, cardinal and gracilis. The latter has an almost transparent body along which a bright red luminous strip stretches.