You might have hear about these fish in the news. These are first genetically engineered pet. Environmental Scientist that use these to help study water quality use. These fish have a gene added that produces a bright color pigment that is not natural to the species. They have been called "Frankenfish." This is better than the method of injecting dye which kills a portion of the fish. The scientists were using them in labs soon realized that the public might enjoy these fish. A portion of the profits is being given back to the research company. Under black light these fish switch the wavelength of the light hitting them creating a glowing effect. It works the same that black light will make some compounds appear to glow. News teams use black light to show dirty hotel rooms. Most body fluids glow under black (ultraviolet) light. It is the same concept.

There are now three colors available. Starfire Red which is a hot pink color. Electric Green which a hot lime green. The third new color is Sunburst Orange is a bright yellow gold color. The really need to same kind as regular zebra fish. They were created by inserting a gene into fertilized eggs and then allow to grow up normally. The trait is dominant and breeds true. The ones sold in the store are supposed to be sterile. There are some places that have made these fish illegal to own. California does not allow them to be imported. Australia, Canada and Europe do not allow the sale of genetically modified fish. They are not supposed to be released in the wild. In truth you should never release any aquarium fish into the wild. Florida is full of released tropical fish species. I have been told that Oscars are wiping out many of the native game fish.

Zebrafish or Brachydanio rerio very non-aggressive and easy to care for species. Zebrafish are India natives that prefer to be in a school of six or more fish. This is a very lively fish.

Food: They are not fussy eaters. They will eat flake food. All fish enjoy live foods. A varied diet improves overall health and appearance of the fish.

Water: acid to medium hard. pH 6.5 - 7.2 They adapt to most conditions.

Tank size: They like some room to swim around. A small group of six would fit in a twenty long tank. They will enjoy larger tanks and are very showy.

The photo was provided by the source company. They are freely available on the web. They encourage people to use their photos. I plan to buy some in the near future. The prices runs for $4 to $6 each.