Many aquarium hobbyists breed their fish with little concern about inbreeding’s negative effects on their fishes’ fitness (i.e., survival, reproduction, and disease resistance). Most leaders in the aquarium hobby have dismissed or ignored inbreeding’s negative effects. Inbreeding’s positive effects stemming from selective breeding for desirable traits have gotten all the attention. My new article ‘Inbreeding and Fitness’ incorporates recent scientific discoveries that better document inbreeding’s negative effects and what factors make them worse. As more fish species face extinction—a good part of it driven by inbreeding—I believe this subject will become increasingly relevant to fish-keeping in the aquarium hobby.
Tag: fish breeding
Guppy Genetics 101
Genetics of breeding fancy guppies for fitness, disease resistance, and beauty
Breeding Guppies: Genetic Pitfalls and Successes (10 page article) describes my experiences with crossing various guppy strains–Metalheads, Blue Grass, pet shop guppies, swordtail guppies, etc. Avoid the genetic problems I encountered as a beginning breeder. Follow the story, which includes basic genetic explanations, to a happy ending–the creation of novel and beautiful phenotypes. (Article revised March 2022)
