well, my problem is not htat they glow... I could give a flying rhinocerous' left n*t that it gloes. HOWEVER, unlike a scorpion, as you mentioned, that glows under a black light, these fish do NOT do this naturally. They have been tampered with. It is not natural, it is not normal. It is playing "I'm selfish and can't appreciate nature the way it is, so to assuage my morbid curiousity about how cool an altered fish that glows is, and to provide my greedy being with enjoyment and pride in what we, as superior humans, can do to nature's marvels, I am changing this fish's being because it isn't pretty enough to me." I don't understand why people can't get this: animals are not ours to USE. The very thought is, to me, proposterous! You want to see something that glows under a black light? Go volunteer yourself (as you are mentally capable of doing, unlike the fish and other creatures that are forced into something they don't understand) for research. After all, how cool would it be to have glow in the dark finger nails?
Don't get me wrong, I am not against some of the weird things research (although I don't consider glow in the dark fish "research") is doing these days. I just took my honors seminar on "Health Ethics and AIDs" and my hour and a half final presentation was dedicated to the genetic modification and alterations that are occuring in the name of "science". Go ahead, grow a liver in a petri dish if you feel the need, that will surely help people.. Although I am not for it, I see more relevance in growing organs in pigs to tranplant to humans (they lack the components that cause rejection in transplants). That helps someone (albeit at the expense of the pig). Fish that glow do not seem to help any one except for their ability to produce money. (big surprise)
You mention how the only way that these could tamper with the environment is if a “fool moron” released them into the wild. WELL, that happens all the time! There are several posts on this topic alone. Look at what happens with the snakeheads (as you humorously mention, I don’t think this is funny ) and the oscars that were released into a pond (fish that the people thought surely would never survive). Those oscars destroyed the ecosystem.
I still don’t see the point that you need a black light to see the results. What does it matter? The alteration is still there. You just need help to see it (which seems pointless in and off itself). Why would anyone want one of these fish anyway? Its beauty is fake, a façade, a lie. Why not go out an get some neon tetras or some pearl gouramis who are truly beautiful. A beauty that can be appreciated. Why do we feel the need to create “better”, new fish, when we can’t keep the ones that we have currently from extinction. How about we worry about that first, before we go making new fish?!
“You can’t do heart research on a fish if you can’t tell where the heart is glowing from.” You can’t? Microscopes? Dissection? Do you see people walking around with glowing hearts? curiously, “no”, but I’d bet there are some primates out there with them. Why? Because we feel we are better than them, i.e. ours to use, because they do not speak our language..and their screams of pain, loneliness, etc etc etc mean “nothing” to us. If you feel the need to have this type of research, volunteer yourself ! – you have the mental capacity to do it…and you have the choice. No one is forcing you into a cage or small tank to inject you with foreign objects. And I bet you are eternally greatfull for that.
Also, I don’t think it matters how long the fish last. It’s not right either way. They have still been messed with. The alteration is still there.
I imagine you like the “Painted Glass Fish”. I think that is also cruel. If you want to see bands of flourescent color, inject yourself.
I also doubt the fact that all of the fish that are used to make glowing critters would all, otherwise, be destined for euthanization.
As for need for funding, how about instead of pouring millions of dollars into trying to captive breed certain animals, and all of the other things that money goes to , in order to help keep endangered species on the face of the earth…we put a little more money into it now, to FIX the problem. In the long run we would save money…one lump sum, rather than spending millions each year simply to maintain their decreased status of existence.
If the fish don’t know they are glowing, great, because that is what is best. That aside, it is still wrong. There is nothing wrong with nature…it is beautiful the..way…it …is. It took billions of years for living beings to evolve to the way they are now..who are we to screw with that because “it looks cool”?!?!?!?
I need to go do something else now before I explode. (I had much more written but my computer froze and I lost it)
!
