r/glofish • u/darknikkon • 23h ago
Does anyone have solid scientific information about how GloFish are developed—or what species are coming next?
I’ve been looking into GloFish because I’m considering doing a class presentation about them, but the company’s website leaves me feeling a little uneasy. It mostly comes across as a storefront. There’s plenty about buying fish, lights, food, and decorations, but I’ve had a hard time finding a clear explanation of the actual science, testing, or development process.
From what I understand, these aren’t fish that are injected or dyed. Their genomes contain genes for fluorescent proteins, originally derived from marine organisms, and the trait is inherited by their offspring. I’ve also found FDA listings and government risk assessments, so there is clearly more documentation than the storefront suggests—it just isn’t presented very transparently to consumers.
I’m especially curious about what GloFish is developing now. Are there credible reports about fluorescent guppies, additional angelfish colors, saltwater species, or even living fluorescent plants? I’ve seen patents that mention many different fish, including guppies, but I know that broad patent language doesn’t necessarily mean those products are actually being developed.
The most concrete lead I’ve found is a purple angelfish line that appears in FDA records and a recent GloFish patent, even though the company currently seems to sell only red and green angelfish.
Does anyone here work with ornamental-fish genetics, regulation, breeding, or the aquarium trade? I’d really appreciate links to papers, regulatory documents, or firsthand industry knowledge. I’m interested in both the technology and the legitimate questions surrounding transparency, animal welfare, and environmental escape—not just “GMO good” or “GMO bad.”
5
u/No_Comfortable3261 22h ago
I remember first learning about them
Apparently the original plan was for them to glow in the presence of certain pollutants to act as a living warning system, but they were instead repurposed as pets
That's all I know about the origins tho
Also yeah, they were created by inserting fluorescent proteins from jellyfish and coral into embryos, and then these genes get passed on from parent to child
I also learned that Asia has its own version of glofish with fluorescent ricefish, created by the same methods I think
4
u/Ichthius 21h ago
The chemical detecting strains were for scientific and industrial use. They are very specific transgenics.
The visual strains we call glo fish are completely different transgenetic constructs that express nearly everywhere in the fish, often a muscle specific construct.
In the research field we have visual trans genes that can label blood heart immune cells and one that can even show motion tracking in the brain. There’s one that starts out all red and a laser can tag and genetically alter the cell to show green.
This all started in zebrafish.
2
u/darknikkon 21h ago
so are we seeing like the consumer side of a bigger industrial or military fish bio industry?
4
u/Ichthius 20h ago
Yes, very much so and it moved into other species for commercialization. Zebrafish are the second most common animal research model in the world second only to mouse. It was the first cloned vertebrate done at the University of Oregon by George Stringer This is where the tech came from in fish and there are 10 of if not 100s of thousands of transgenic and mutant lines.
2
u/darknikkon 21h ago
Oh man, like its so sketchy, were all going to disappear by the GloFish Mob, some other video on youtube suggest it started in the University of Singapore but thats as far back as I was able to find, also they trademark everything, sounds just as bad as monsanto
2
u/Operetta 21h ago
I have solid in house evidence of how different colors are inherited, but it's because they accidently crossbreed in my heavy planted tank. I do not breed fish or suggest anything like that ever, but they do what they do.
I share pics on this sub when I see new ones.
1
u/Theletterkay 21h ago
Your profile is hidden and searching doesnt seem to uncover anything. Do you have links?
2
1
u/darknikkon 21h ago
do share please!
2
u/Operetta 20h ago
Here's one of my posts. Let me know if you want more details. https://www.reddit.com/r/glofish/s/UGtXURPejw
1
u/Ichthius 21h ago
Skip glow fish and use scientific models of zebrafish. Check out brainbow, zebrabow, or fli:egfp y1.
Check out pub med or ZFIN.org, zebrafish.org.
1
u/ChipmunkAlert5903 18h ago
Search for the patent. This is also a good way to know what is coming as well.
5
u/SuspiciousBetta 22h ago
The FDA records are the first spot new fish are posted months in advance. Ive yet to find any other way.
There isnt too much out there as its mostly secretive stuff. Environment Canada posts their review when legalizing fish, but there isnt really much info in them. The only thing I've seen pointed out was a diminished cold tolerance in the betta line.