Linebreeding Goodeids?

[guppymonkey]

Do you think it would be possible to do some line breeding with goodeids like is done with the major livebearers? I was thinking about trying to breed some more color into my Xenotoca eiseni. I know a lot of people are wary about this kind of genetic manipulation in goodeids but this species is not really endangered (in the wild yes but this is a very prolific species in captivity).

 

[nmonks]

Yes it's possible and in fact positively encouraged. There is nothing wrong with selecting fish with bright colour and crossing them to produce babies with more colour than average, and so on. There are books and web sites on things like guppy genetics, and those would stand you in good stead for such a project. Breeding fish to improve them is what the hobby is all about it some ways, with things like angels, goldfish, guppies, mollies, etc all being very different to their wild ancestors.

This really isn't genetic manipulation since all your doing is artificially selecting for certain features that occur in the species anyway, so instead of being a rare character it becomes a common one. That happens in the wild all the time (natural selection).

Cheers, Neale

 

[helterskelter]

Skiffia multipunctata would be the best.

http/home.clara.net/brachydibble/Skiffia_multipunctata.htm

some good photo's there showing the diverse colour range.....
Also the 1st pic is ment to be copyrighted to my site but that person has removed it!!!!!!!! not happy.

another line is also the red Charachodon lateralis, nateraly they are green with a red fish being 1 in every 100 or so. but with breeding almost all captive lines are red, and UK shows state their to be red and green's get down marked.

 

[guppymonkey]

I actually have some Charachodon lateralis "Guadalupe Aguilera" that I got from an online auction that show extreme red coloration on the males. These are much brighter than other specimens of this species that I have seen in pictures or in person. That was what actually gave me the idea to try it but I wanted to make sure I didn't start another argument like I did with the crossbreeding goodeids topic so I figured I would mention a species that isn't rare in the hobby. I think Skiffia multipunctata would be a good choice but until this spring I am limited on how many tanks I can have and I already have a good population of X. eiseni going so it wouldn't hurt my colony to remove some now and then for specific breeding. It actually should be easier than with guppies because the females have to be reinpregnated everytime instead of carrying the sperm.

 

[diburning]

skiffia multipunctata are already being line bred. People are trying to create a pure black and a pure yellow multipunctata. Well, they suceeded in creating a pure yellow, but didn't have much luck with the pure black.

And.... I was thinking Ameca splendens since they spawn often but there really isn't much to improve upon and they don't show any odd colorations.