For decades, scientists and medical researchers studied bioluminescence in nature and have adapted fluorescent genes as biomarkers for many applications. That is how GloFish found their way into home aquariums across the country.
Scientists in Singapore were the first to genetically modify fish to fluoresce. The long-term goal for the scientists was to detect toxins in water so that polluted waterways could be identified and the local communities using those waterways could be protected. Yorktown Technologies purchased the license to those always-fluorescing fish and bred its first fluorescent aquarium pet, the Starfire Red Danio, in Today there are 12 lines—species and color combination—of GloFish, including tetras, zebra fish, and barbs, in such colors as Electric Green, Moonrise Pink, and Cosmic Blue.
The fish appear bright under normal white light and fluoresce brilliantly under a blue light. They are also quite striking under black light in a completely darkened room.
Since their introduction, Blake says the fish have created excitement in the home aquarium world, with children especially fascinated by them. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as with various state regulators. The state of California initially balked at the idea of transgenic fish, but in reversed course and allowed aquarium owners to buy and keep them.
Initially, there were misconceptions and misunderstandings. Some environmental scientists were concerned that the fish could harm local wild populations if released by pet owners.
However, the tropical fish cannot survive in North American waters. Even if they are released into the wild, the fluorescent gene does not stay in the population, according to an extensive study by Purdue University.
Traditional zebrafish consistently beat out their glowing counterparts when it came to winning mates, the study found. There also is no evidence indicating the fluorescent genes from GloFish are transferred to any other species, Watson says. Once a female Glofish is pregnant, they wait to lay their eggs in the presence of male Glofish after engaging in mating rituals.
Once the eggs are laid, the female will develop more eggs and carry them till they are ready to lay again, so female Glofish are almost always carrying eggs. First, keep an eye on the behaviors of your fish to see if they start exhibiting mating signs. This can often encourage spawning, which is when the female expels the eggs which will drift to the bottom of the tank where the male fertilizes them. Once eggs are laid and fertilized, they usually hatch after about 24 hours.
The fry will then take another 24 hours to begin emerging from the rocks or marbles. They will be so tiny at this stage that you might not be able to see them. Once your fry is swimming freely in the tank — usually 2 or 3 days after they hatch — you can feed them with commercial fry food. This will be powdered food that is small enough for your fry to eat with enough nutrients to help them grow. Female GloFish release their eggs by dropping them into the water, usually at a spawning site or as they swim throughout their fish tank.
Once the female releases the eggs into the water, males fertilize the eggs as they fall to the bottom of the tank. Since GloFish spawn in spools, eggs from one female can be fertilized by more than one male. Survival of fertilized eggs is minimal. Most are consumed by the adult GloFish almost immediately. Many fish owners add marbles to the bottom of their fish tanks to protect the fertilized eggs. The marbles leave small gaps open for the fertilized eggs to bounce or slide into, where they are shielded.
It takes up to two days for the eggs to hatch and an additional two to three days after that for the fry to swim out in search of food. Based in Miami, Shellie Alyssa has been writing articles since Her articles have appeared on a variety of popular and informative pet websites including munch.
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