Luminous fish, the forbidden fascination
Hardly any aquarium stock is as fascinating as luminous fish. Their iridescent colors amaze viewers. But for the full development of their splendor, the animals pay a high price – and are therefore banned in large parts of the EU for good reason.
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What are glowing fish and how did they come about?
The origin of the term «luminous fish» is revealed at first glance: the colors of the aquatic creatures, which are only a few centimeters tall emit a diffuse lightwhich literally makes the little animals shine.
They owe their ability to do so to an experiment conducted by scientists at the University of Singapore. The researchers isolated the fluorescent protein of the so-called luminous jellyfish and added it to the genetic material of a zebrafish. As a result of this experiment, the fish developed the same luminosity as Aequorea victoria — the species of jellyfish that produced the shimmering protein.
Inspired by the success, the specialists tried out further transmissions for differently colored luminous fish. In addition to green and yellow dye from jellyfish, they planted the zebrafish also red luminous protein from sea anemones a. The result was the same every time: the fish showed the same radiance as the donors
What is the effect based on and what purpose did luminous fish originally serve?
Very specific bacteria are responsible for this effect. you have an enzyme that they use to oxidize the phosphor luciferin. The energy released in the process becomes visible as light or glowing.
Normally, the bio-chemical process is used by individual species to attract prey. In addition to the jellyfish and sea anemones mentioned above, deep-sea dwellers in particular benefit from the ability to use bacteria as a light source. The best-known are shots of grotesque-looking frogfish that wear a kind of headlamp on their heads.
But the researchers at the University of Singapore were also pursuing a specific goal with their experiment: they imagined fluorescent light fish show the pollutant load of rivers or lakes. As soon as the animals reveal their characteristic shimmer, this indicates certain strains of bacteria in the water.
How did luminous fish become aquarium animals and why is keeping them forbidden in Germany?
The associated show effect did not remain hidden from aquarists for long. Shortly after the «invention» of the luminous fish, they claimed the fascinating water dwellers for themselves. Above all in Asia and in the USA they developed into popular pets – and were soon available in numerous colors. In addition to the originally introduced tones, the luminous fish available there show a wide spectrum of iridescent nuances.
To the brilliance of varieties like
- cosmic blue,
- electric Green,
- Galactic Purple or
- Sunburst Orange
To bring this out perfectly, the gene mass of the animals was changed again. The GloFish® as sold overseas is the sensitivity for the natural luminous catalyst has been bred away become; That means: The fish also glow when there are no pollutants in the water.
such interventions contradict of EU Directive 2010/63 of September 22, 2010. It prohibits keeping genetically modified specimens as pets or livestock. This completes the trade, possession or even the consumption of dazzling luminous fish Banned in all member states of the European Union.