The breeding and sale of genetically modified Glofish is banned in many countries around the world, and not without reason – in Brazil escaped specimens endanger other species.
Frankfurt – Small ornamental fish that glow blue, red or green in the dark – what sounds utopian has been a hit among aquarium lovers for years. However, it is precisely these so-called GloFish that could now become a problem: According to science.org, the genetically modified luminous fish in Brazil have escaped from fish farms into the Brazilian nature, which is already suffering under President Jair Bolsonaro. There the fish multiply rapidly and endanger other species. “The situation is serious,” said ecologist Jean Vitule of the Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba.
The genetically modified fish were first bred in 1999 at the University of Singapore. At that time they were only used for research. According to the Swiss newspaper Fauna, researchers had removed the gene responsible for the luminosity from the so-called “luminous jellyfish” in order to introduce it into the genetic material of a zebrafish. At first, the fish glowed green under black light. Later, genes were also extracted from other jellyfish and sea anemones to make red, blue, and yellow luminosity, according to science.org.
Luminous fish in Brazil: Glofish – From research to the animal market
The original intention of the researchers was to use the fish to detect impurities in the water. The fish should light up different colors to indicate specific pollutants, wildlife reported. In 2004, the US company Yorktown Technologies made the GloFish a blockbuster. In the US and Asia, the first ever GM pets available were a big hit with aquarium enthusiasts.
The fish are banned in the European Union, and apparently not without reason. In Brazil, several groups of luminous fish were first discovered in nature in 2015. And that, although the sale in Brazil is also prohibited. Nevertheless, there are some breeders of luminous fish in Brazil. Some of the animals had probably escaped from specially created ponds. According to science.org, since they had no natural predators in the Brazilian streams and were more sexually mature than their ancestors, they reproduced steadily. They have since been sighted in several parts of the country.
Glofish: In Brazil, there is now talk of an invasion of glowing fish
André Magalhães, a biologist at the main campus of the Federal University of São João del Rei, now speaks of an invasion. The fish could soon become so numerous that they directly affect native species. The luminous fish could take food away from them and even hunt them.
Vitule sees an additional danger in the fact that the luminous fish pass on their modified genes to other fish, making them more conspicuous and therefore more vulnerable. However, this vulnerability could be a way out of the luminous fish invasion: If the genetically modified animals move to larger bodies of water, they will attract the attention of the predators living there more quickly. (Monja Stolz)
