Worst case scenario

[Marc van Arc]

This is really awful. For sale in Japan: albino balloon Pterodoras granulosus....
I truly hope this is just a one off

[Bas Pels]

this is discusting.

Here it's almost midnight now, so I will consider it a goast, not a real animal

[Birger]

Can't even say anything about this one ...if you saw me right now it would be me just shaking my head
I do not know why some people are fascinated with the unnatural

[Plecofanatic1989]

An abomination!

[andywoolloo]

what happenned to him? he looks like he has another catfish trying to grow out of him?

[Marc van Arc]

what happenned to him? he looks like he has another catfish trying to grow out of him?

Joking, right?
If not: this is a man made (or rather estroyed) "parrot"-catfish....

[andywoolloo]

No I wasn't joking. I checked on this site for a pic of a regular one:

Pterodoras granulosus

and the one shown looks very distorted. I mean I realize they did something to it but what?

[Mod edit: Fix clog URL -> clog tags (aka persistant clog link)--Mats]

[Richard B]

I feel sick..........

[Marc van Arc]

No I wasn't joking. The one shown looks very distorted. I mean I realize they did something to it but what?

Sorry Andy.
I don't know how they do it - and I certainly don't want to know- but some people believe that we couldn't live without "fancy", utterly deformed fishes. Examples: all kinds of goldfishes, balloon-type livebearers, parrot- cichlids, you name it. The more deformed, the better.
To my deepest regret these kind of fishes do attract a lot of attention from a certain group of buyers who are willing to pay a huge price and will therefore be "produced".
About a year ago I (jokingly) predicted the arrival of a parrot catfish in a topic on hybrid Synodontis, not knowing it would pop up so soon. All of a sudden albino longfinned Ancistrus seem pretty okay compared to this poor thing......

[apistomaster]

This breed would be a good food fish to culture. It would allow one to make nice broad fillets.

[Richard B]

Marc - seeing as you predicted the deformed catfish, can you now please predict me winning loads of money & buying all the cats i ever wanted!!!

[Marc van Arc]

Marc - seeing as you predicted the deformed catfish, can you now please predict me winning loads of money & buying all the cats i ever wanted!!!

Hang on Richard! I first have to see whether the second Peru attempt will bring some Novias or not.
My prediction is negative (meanwhile silently hoping it'll be positive), but I'm not counting on it the way I used to do. We'll know in a week or two I guess.
After that it's your turn. Salmay, dalmay, adonay

[andywoolloo]

Oh I see, Marc. Thanks for explaining it. That's very sad and bizarre.

[pLaurent1251]

And I thought the "Balloon" corydoras I saw were bad. This poor thing looks like a mutant or a alien.

The public has a thirst for the new and unusual and they'll get it, no matter how the animals must suffer to satisfy it.
Deliberately breeding for extreme deformity in fish (or Persian cats or English bulldogs) to the point where they are unable to function in a completely normal manner and do it for financial gain or style is unconscionable.

[DeepFriedIctalurus]

I don't know how they do it - and I certainly don't want to know-

Don't get me wrong here, but I do have a bit of fascination for genetic anomalies. My interest lies only with the novelty of such mutations, so I must admit that I'm VERY curious how all these "balloon" fishes are created....especially since new balloons seem to appear on Asian trans-shipper lists every year now.

So I'll admit that bacu is fairly interesting (and very gross I agree), but it sure isn't worth any more money than a regular bacu to me!


I'll also admit that I do keep a few mutants that aren't completely unlike that fish, but I stand firm in my belief that they're "defective" fish that I refuse to pay more than little-to-nothing for....hehe

[Jeox]

I guess im in the minority, but seeing as thats not mass produced, I want one. lol

[Richard B]

Each to their own...............