Inter-generic hybrid.

[Lateral Line]

Indian scientists have produced chimera fish in a laboratory experiment designed to investigate new breeding techniques for commercially valuable fishes.

Four scientists from the College of Marine Sciences at the Ocean University of China produced an inter-species chimera of the Rosy barb, Puntius conchonius and the Zebra danio, Danio rerio in their laboratory by taking cells from the Rosy barbs blastula-stage embryo and transplanting them into a Danio embryo at the same lifestage.

Of 473 transplants of Rosy barb cells into Danio embryos just 13 of the chimeras appeared "perfectly normal after one month', the scientists state.

The experiment is believed to be the first to show that it is possible to transplant blastula cells across cyprinid fish species to produce fish chimeras.

For more details see the paper: Sawant MS, Zhang SC, Wang QY, Wang YJ (2004) - Production of interspecies chimeras by transplanting rosy barb (Puntius conchonius) embryonic cells to zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Indian J Exp Biol. 2004 Aug; 42(8): 830-6

Charming.

 

[digital_run]

There is no end to the lenghts science will go

 

[MAM]

okay, so the point of doing this was what?? i didn't read a benefit from it, other than creating something else to sell as a novelty............. did the article include any pictures of these so-called chimeras fish??

 

[Bignose]

The possible benefit may be to breed species that are endangered, rare, or otherwise compromised. We also know how prodigously the zebra danios breed, and if it becomes easy or commonplace to transplant egss from one endangered species to the zebra danio it may just save said endangered species. At the very least, it may become far easier to breed many of the fish that are wild caught or otherwise reluctant to tank-breed.

There is plenty of opportunity for abuse and so-called franken-fish, but there is also plenty of possibility for some good to come of the research.

 

[Opcn]

Isn't this what we have a hybrids forum for?

the reason they made these fish is for money, they want to mass produce hard to breed fish cheaply, you put the ovaries and testies of microrasboras inside Zebra Danios and your getting mateing non-stop , then you sell the slew of microrasboras (acctually a danio FYI) then you take your wad of cash and buy yourself hapiness

 

[Teelie]

I wonder if it would be decried so badly if you all knew this kind of thing happens all the time in nature, although there's obviously more natural reproduction in it than people directly tampering with the genes or reproductive organs. Of course it's "not natural" but then most people don't know how natural this kind of thing is. How do you think new species of animals come about? It's certainly not spontaenous evolution.

Dislike it for human tampering or profiteering, but don't make it out like this is abnomal.

 

[The-Wolf]

microrasboras (acctually a danio FYI) then you take your wad of cash and buy yourself hapiness

Acctually a danionin

If this serves some purpose other than comercial, then it may be ok.
If the only purpose is commercial then the pratice is an abomination and should be stopped.

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> The possible benefit may be to breed species that are endangered, rare, or otherwise compromised

Nope. By creating a chimera, you would be mixing the genetic material of the species with that of the other. How do you propose to get it out again?

Cloning, using the de-nucleated eggs of another species would be a different matter. I cannot see how mixing, thus diluting the genetic material of an endangered species etc., could help it's species survival.

>>> Isn't this what we have a hybrids forum for?

The species in question were both cyprinids. Also in the hybrids forum, there are rules about bashing hybrids and hybridisers. I am bashing.

>>> It's certainly not spontaenous evolution.

It is by morphological diversity and natural selection.

>>> all knew this kind of thing happens all the time in nature,

I read a fair selection of scientific papers. What is your source justifying that statement?

 

[sylvia]

I personaly cannot see any use of this other than for profit. Like the common hybrid cichlids and other fish like parrots and flowerhorns, the mixes produced will probably just be marketed for profit and might very well contaminate wild gene pools or out-compete wild species if it happened to find its way into the wild - not to mention the hybridization that may occur with aquarium-kept species (if possible) that would just contaminate the natural and already beautiful species we all love. This kind of thing makes me mad. Humans should not tamper with nature if all they want is to profit off their creations.

 

[Teelie]

I read a fair selection of scientific papers. What is your source justifying that statement?

Several years of education and multiple resources and educational programs. If you're as well versed in this as you claim, you'd know this isn't nearly so unnatural as some people claim.

 

[Opcn]

Nope. By creating a chimera, you would be mixing the genetic material of the species with that of the other. How do you propose to get it out again?

where exactly is the genetic material mixed, as I understood your blurb they took cells from one and put them on cells from another, in a eukaryote DNA doesnt move from one cell to another.

 

[sylvia]

Of 473 transplants of Rosy barb cells into Danio embryos just 13 of the chimeras appeared "perfectly normal after one month', the scientists state.

They took cells from the barb and transplanted these into the developing danio embryo. The result was a barb/danio hybrid (or chimera if you wish) which is impossible in nature.

 

[Bignose]

Teelie, a source or two would be useful. I also cannot see how a transplantation occurs in nature -- as far as I know only humans perform surgery. Hybridization does occur in nature, but it is far, far, far more common in tanks or in labs. All things being equal, fish normally prefer to stick with their own species. Even then, hybridization is between species that are pretty close on the family tree, it cannot jump too many branches, the parts just wont go together.


Lateral Line, I understand that at the moment they make hybrid/chimeras, but this may be the first step to piggybacking endangered species using more prolific breeders. Not unlike attempts to use animals organs in humans, it may become possible to transplant entire reproductive systems, and thereby creating non-chimeras using the host species as a life support system. Certainly, at the moment, the mutant fish are not anything I'd like to see, but this may be only the first step. They had to prove it was possible to create living fish in the first place, before moving on to greater challenges.

 

[Opcn]

Big Nose, the artical clearly stated that it was for comercial reasons nothing about environmental, however cheap breeding could be adapted for the environment

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> If you're as well versed in this as you claim,

So where are your references, sources? Surely, if this is as common as you say, you must have dozens of papers to hand?