Why are we paying more for Genetic Defects?

[Chiefmcfuz]

In the recent past all of these new misbar clowns becoming available I just wanted to ask why are you paying more than normal for genetic defects? Simply put these clowns are mother natures rejects and mutations that probably would not survive in the wild as long as a normal clown. So why are these big money and so popular? Is it just because they are different?

 

[tosiek]

yes. sigh. sucks huh

 

[ming]

Marketing at its best. Although the same can be said about a lot of domesticated dogs. A pit bull or a hot dog would not survive in the wild, but people have grown to think they look "cute".

 

[James]

It all comes down to taste, I really do not like the look of the platinum clowns but think the "snowcassos" and picassos look awesome and am willing to pay a premium for them. I also don't mind paying higher prices knowing something is tank raised because my conscience feels better about it

 

[Wes]

Same reason people pay more for certain "breeds" of dogs that were selectively bred for certain "defects".

I don't think a Maltese would do very well in the "wild" either.

 

[Alex]

Actually I believe james is the wrong person for this thread, he recently payed about $900. for one clown.....:biglaugh:

Now if I can only get him to dish out that kind of money on school books...LMAO

JK james, beautiful clown dude. BTW the kid I brought to your house has been sold, kept saying the rudest things the little crumb snatcher...:biglaugh:

 

[Alex]

Marketing at its best. Although the same can be said about a lot of domesticated dogs. A pit bull or a hot dog would not survive in the wild, but people have grown to think they look "cute".

Can you enlighten me on the pit bull part, curious..

 

[aznt1217]

Pitbulls don't have a coat of fur so they do get cold pretty quickly. I think that's what he was referring to.

But yea clown morphs are special

 

[asianer]

In the recent past all of these new misbar clowns becoming available I just wanted to ask why are you paying more than normal for genetic defects? Simply put these clowns are mother natures rejects and mutations that probably would not survive in the wild as long as a normal clown. So why are these big money and so popular? Is it just because they are different?

Yes, that's why you are worth a lot of money :biglaugh:

 

[lfsmarineguy]

ORA used to cull all of the abnormal fish. Then, I guess people started asking for them and the snowball started rolling. I think that the threshold for deformity is just at the patterns since they did offer a "Stubby" clown for a little while a few years ago (it looked like someone stuffed it in a vice and bashed it's head in for lack of a better description). It's spine was crooked and the head and face were very deformed making the fish look like it was mostly head with fins attached directly to it. I don't think they went over well since that was the first and last we saw of them.
I think some of the patterns are cool and the fish seem healthy, plus they're tank raised, so there really isn't a downside to it as far as I can see. It's just that the numbers are limited and then most suppliers further limit the amount each company can purchase at any one time, so they can effectively control the price and keep it elevated. I think they did open the floodgates with their different strains to the point where now if anything is even slightly different it becomes a new and expensive strain with a name.

 

[Alex]

Pitbulls don't have a coat of fur so they do get cold pretty quickly. I think that's what he was referring to.

But yea clown morphs are special

Thanks for the info I didn't realize that.

 

[coralnut99]

"Designer" fish. Plain and simple. It's been the staple of the FW side of the hobby for decades. I think a Platinum Blue Blushing angelfish would get lost walking around the block in the Amazon basin too. As long as people like the color patterns you'll see more and more. Not a bad thing in my mind as the hobby needs to focus more on captive breeding efforts in the long term. But the whole marketing schtick will surely follow it.

 

[prattreef]

I just want to add that mutations ( and hybrids) do occur in nature and sometimes survive. Most notably:

http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/resources.asp?show=416

 

[jaa1456]

I think all the Mutations are bad for the hobby, This was not what was intended by mother nature, that's why you don't see them in the wild. The lightning maroon is in a isolated area where they keep inbreeding with each other. That might become a new species all together if left alont.

 

[pweissma]

How 'bout all those "fancy" goldfish? People want it and are willing to pay for it. But my favorite is the Glofish. Now that's genetic modification, totally trumping selective breeding of mutations.:Hydrogen:

 

[DHaut]

lol, mother nature got the finger when we started putting fish in a glass box imo. i've never heard one good argument against selective breeding for hobby purposes. i have heard a lot of whining and crying about how expensive the fish are though...

 

[lfsmarineguy]

They do occurr in the wild, and not as rarely as most people think. How exactly do you think species evolve if not for mutations????

 

[LongIslandAndy]

lol, mother nature got the finger when we started putting fish in a glass box imo[/B].

+1 Couldn't have said it better.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

lol, mother nature got the finger when we started putting fish in a glass box imo.

I second that.


DEFECTS is not always the right discription for this scenario. When it's not the norm, does not mean that they are necessarily defects. The so called invasive algae down in Cali is from a small mutation in the algae(that probably come from middle east or Australia) makes them become more cold resistant and survive much better than the norm. To that particular species, this is a success not a defect. When more hobbyists like the "defected" as some of you call it, then the mutation turns into an advantage for the fish because they may become the norm in the future. The old ones are retired to the corner and may even be culled because there are just too many stuck there.

In England, there was a study about doves in an urban area where most people considered a timid shy dull colored male dove defected while a colorful, outgoing and STRONG male doves will be considered as regular ones because they are the norm at the time in the wild. Over years, the tide are tilted, the population of timid shy dull colored doves are on the rise. The norm in the old days does not mean they are the fittest to survive in an urban setting. Back to these fish, since more and more people like mutated ones, their chance of survival in the long run seems very high. Since we are also the worst destroyer of the wild, wild clownfish may extinct before the Platinum in my little tank goes away. Whenever, human being is involved the outcome cannot be just relied on the statistic of the wild.

 

[Raul]

Color mutations are not that rare in the wild and while many color mutations do not thrive there are always a select few that will. If you look at most pigmy angels around the world the only thing that really cahnges is the "paint" job. Most of them even breed together to make what we call hybrids. The fact is that they are not really hybrids. Its the same fish with a different color variant making more color variants that may or may not become established. We see this with tangs also.

Truth is the more we breed fish in captivity the more variants we will see. These color variants are very important because they keep people interested in captive breeding programs. Lets face it its better to buy a captive bred picasso then a wild caught percula. Its all a matter of taste but there really is no reason to knock on color mutations.

Every time humans start to breed animals for their own use there will be change. This doesnt only apply to dogs the size of small horses or cats with no fur. It applys to cows that produce the most milk possible or pigs that get huge or sheep that grow the most wool.

I hope this all made sense lol...