Artificial selection, and hybrids

The origin of the word hybrid lies in the Greek hubris: "overreaching arrogance defying the natural order." Roger Langton, president of the Aquatic Conservation Network, had this to say in 1994: "Perhaps the most controversial goal in the Affiliate Club Program is the request that aquarists breed fish in a manner that will 'maintain the characteristics of the species as found in nature.' They are asked to 'avoid breeding for distortions in color, shape, fin size, etc.' Why? Offspring that come from intensive inbreeding or are the result of hybridization are no longer of use in conservation programs. Examples of this type of breeding can be found in some strains of livebearers and discus and, admittedly, they are very popular among hobbyists. Some local and national clubs have specialized in this type of genetic manipulation and they may find it difficult or impossible to conform to this goal. The well-known German discus breeder, Dr. Eduard Schmidt-Focke, is now urging discus breeders to stop breeding for color variations by crossing geographically distinct populations and return to the maintenance of populations as found in nature. He reasons that breeding in that manner often weakens the fish and makes it more difficult or impossible to locate pure stock when conservation goals become paramount. Although keeping fish pure may eliminate some of the interesting specimens currently available and may reduce economic gains, it is essential to have pure captive bred populations when a species becomes extinct in nature if there is to be any hope of returning them to their natural geographical range. Nobody said that making the transition from hobbyist to conservation aquarist would not be without controversy." The Aquatic Conservation Network is a mailing-list begun in 1996 that maintains an archive, operates a web page and has published an e-journal Aquatic Survival with back issues available. As far back as 1985 Richard Brown made an eloquent plea for maintaining natural species rather than domesticated "ornamental" strains; his article "Keeping it natural" is posted at "Richard's Aquaria:" Patrick de Rham posted at Aquarists' Conservation Network, 7 Jan 2001: "I think one of the few things concerned aquarists could do would be to buy and breed only natural forms of fish, and in aquarium clubs and other associations explain that one should shun albinos, veilfin danios, improved Apistogrammas, parrot cichlids and other horrors. If the present trend goes on, very soon it will be impossible to find a natural fish in an aquarium shop. People who think they are environmentally correct in not buying wild fish are mistaken, because once these wild fish are no more on the market, who will remember them and who will care about protecting their often fragile habitats?"
 
Recently, cichlid hybrids seem to be proliferating. An Australian team, Andy Miller and David Midgley wrote an article, "Hybrid cichlids are bad for the hobby" ( a version is archived at the Sydney Cichlid Aquarium site) ; it's packed with information on deformed monstrosities like "Parrot" Cichlids, and the aggressive "Flowerhorn" Cichlasomine hybrid, which are being dumped in Malaysian waterways when their superstitious owners tire of them, because it's considered bad luck there to euthanize them.