Rare Clown Loach ?

[Martin Thoene]

Well I consider that an abomination and even at that small size it looks like it could be genuine to me unfortunately. Why must people mess with nature?

Martin.

[tariesindanrie]

It looks rather bizarre...creates a profile like a shark with a vanity tail or something...don't think I like it and I've shown it to my loaches and they don't like it either...

[palaeodave]

By all accounts munchkin cats are fast runners, good jumpers and good hunters. A random mutation was selectively bred into a population of cats. It's not exactly GM. I highly doubt this fish is anything but a first generation random mutation. People would have to successfully and repeatedly breed clown loaches to manage the same feats. Seems unlikely that anyone has gone to the massive expense and technical difficulty of altering clown loach genetics in a lab just to advertise their new creation on a pleco forum.

[Martin Thoene]

Good tariesindanrie ....I'm glad you have a professional opinion on that

Martin.

[palaeodave]

Ah, forgot about the hormone induced breedings. Even so, on a commercial scale you'd expect something more than one specimen on a pleco forum. They'd be on fish shop shipping lists.

[Tinman]

Good point PaleoDave ,not like there are Loachmills......but Munchkin Cats like Pekiniese Dogs and many more examples have many problems though, all caused by in-breeding for desired visual effect. A Munchkin would not make it outside very long. If it is natural all good........No Hollywood Loaches, fake fins all pushed up for show and the like for me

[Mad Duff]

I highly doubt this fish is anything but a first generation random mutation. People would have to successfully and repeatedly breed clown loaches to manage the same feats. Seems unlikely that anyone has gone to the massive expense and technical difficulty of altering clown loach genetics in a lab just to advertise their new creation on a pleco forum.

My thoughts exactly Dave, for all we know these could turn up regularly in narural spawnings but becasue of genetics or the finnage size not last long enough to be caught.

[lf11casey]

I highly doubt this fish is anything but a first generation random mutation. People would have to successfully and repeatedly breed clown loaches to manage the same feats. Seems unlikely that anyone has gone to the massive expense and technical difficulty of altering clown loach genetics in a lab just to advertise their new creation on a pleco forum.

My thoughts exactly Dave, for all we know these could turn up regularly in narural spawnings but becasue of genetics or the finnage size not last long enough to be caught.

Ha ha, that's what I was thinking.
I bet their are alot of mutations that happen in the wild. But becouse they are so different from the norm, these offspring don't have a chance of surviving. In a protected enviroment where food is abundent, they can survive.

[connor]

I think this is an abomination, too. If it's not photoshopped this is a loach to pity .. I don't think it can be the most excellent swimmer a loach usually is with THIS tail.

-Connor

[KhuliKhilla]

crikey, i think all this talk of 'messing with nature' and 'abominations' is going a little too far. at best this a perfectly naturally occurring mutation that has popped up in a wild population. at worst it is a mutation that has cropped up in a breeding tank somewhere.

its no different or more of an abomination than any other mutation such as albinism (which is rather common n the fishkeeping hobby. this mutation just happens to be rarer)

lee

[mcloughlin2]

Hey fella's.

Before i post the pictures of the fish i would like to clear up a few things.

1) The fish was not the result of messing with hormones/genetics.
2) No I'm not messing with nature.

How this fish came into my hands i won't be saying, but it was the only one. It from what study I've done appears to be a random mutation much like the albinism.

It is a great fish and has no trouble swimming. (Trust me i have to catch it )

Here is a quick picture. I will email some of th better ones to Mad Duff for his index thingo.



Sam.

[Blue]

Sweet loach.

[loachmom]

It's nice to finally see this loach. How very interesting!


Thanks for the photo

[palaeodave]

How very strange! What are the chances of getting a quick flim clip of it swimming? Would love to see how its fins move in the water.

[Mad Duff]

Here are some of the photos that Sam has kindly sent me:





I think this is a very interesting looking fish and yes I think if I had the chance of one I would get it to add to my existing shoal, for all we know these could well be very common in the wild but because of the finnage dont last long enough to be caught and exported.