Harper165 - 30-4-2012 at 01:40
Hello, I was wondering if anyone had any information on whether the majority of translucent fish are Zebra Danio injected with jellyfish genes
generations prior or if they are goldfish injected with dyes in their spine that has an 80% mortality rate (mortality rate has yet to be confirmed).
After watching an episode from season 1 of The Big Bang Theory where Dr. Sheldon Cooper experiments with a goldfish and makes it translucent and uses
it as a nightlight, I wanted to conduct an experiment of my own to create a translucent goldfish but due to the supposed mortality rate and evident
animal cruelty, I have this decided to back out of my proposed experiment. Thus leaving my above stated question, if anyone knows if a majority of the
GloFish being sold is the genetically "superior" Zebra Danio, or the dye-injected goldfish? Thank you for your time.
malcolmf - 30-4-2012 at 09:44
If they're on sale, I'd think they'd be genetic. Dye injected fish with the mortality rate you quote wouldn't be a very good sale item: You want them
to be able to live for weeks at a time in a tank in a shop, not dying before a customer sees them. Fluorescent jellyfish protein genes have been
inserted in all kinds of things, fish, amphibians, lots of plants, and I think some mammals. Once you have a gene-inserted egg that develops
normally, I'd think you'd be able to breed from the fluorescent adults down any number of generation.
It's commercial enough that it's been patented
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7700825.html
Endimion17 - 30-4-2012 at 10:02
Well, they really do sell fish with the dye injected. It's one of the illegal things people do.
GreenD - 30-4-2012 at 10:30
I would imagine the dye fish would be more expensive, as now the genetic ones should basically be as easy to propagate as normal fish genotypes... and
80% mortality rate would really drive up the price ...
Injecting a fish with a fluorescent dye is a big karma-nono.
And, I'm guessing, making a transgenic fish would require some very specific laboratory gear, since I'm not sure whether animal cells uptake genetic
material as easy as ecoli. Although if you had a gene gun, this would be feasible.
But there again, gene guns are usually done under reduced pressure. . . but. it could work!
Rumor (since I won't bother to look for a reference *summoning nicodem*) has it that you can actually make a gene gun for <100$, and can give
transgenic mammal cells with a click of a trigger. Injecting cancer has never been easier.
[Edited on 30-4-2012 by GreenD]