03-21-2008, 04:57 PM
tight -- I still don't agree with you.
A fishes genetics are there from birth. A young fish (small fish) still may have the genetics to grow big. So, if a sexually mature fish contributes in the spawning process, it still passes it's genes on to future generations.
Let's do a hypothetical scenario at Strawberry. Pretend you have a cutthroat that is born with "superior" genetics. This fish has the genes in it to grow to phenomenal sizes. By age 3 this fish might be 12". The next year its closer to 17". Is it a trophy? Not yet. But it is sexually mature, and it is currently spawning and passing it's "superior" genes on. The fish then reaches 18" and is caught by an angler who decides to illegally harvest the fish. It's dead. It never reached its size potential -- but it already passed on it's superior genes, most likely multiple times. Those genes are not lost. This is why you can't hardly breed out the genetics in a natural system. The fish are spawning and passing on genes long before they ever reach trophy size. The genes don't magically change during the lifetime of the fish.
On the other hand, take another newly born cutt that has "inferior" genes. Maybe this fish is only programed to grow to to 23" in size max. Again, this fish reaches sexually maturity and begins to spawn prior to the fish ever being removed from the system. At size 23", it is caught and removed -- but it has already passed on it's inferior genes -- numerous times over.
The difference with your cichlids at home is that you can weed out the small fish and not allow them to reach sexuall maturity. You can prevent them from ever passing those "inferior", or undesirable, traits to future generations. You leave your biggest fish in the tank and allow them to continue to breed, then again remove the smallest. It's easy in captivity where you control who is doing the breeding. You can't do it in nature where you have no control over who's doing the breeding.
So, at the Berry -- even if you lowered the slot limit to something like 17" -- those fish are still spawning and passing on their genetics to future fish. It doesn't matter the the spawning fish haven't reached their maximum potential size -- potential doesn't change the genetics. The genetics are there from day 1. Cutthroat in the Berry should be reaching sexual maturity at about 14". Unless we are harvesting every fish prior to sexual maturity, then all genes are being passed along, and the danger of breeding out "superior" genes is not a threat.
FWIW -- there are only two of us that ever participate in these forums -- if you are confusing me, my bro, and worm and bobber, then you are a very
person!
FWIW2 -- I'm damn good at my job. Don't ever try to judge MY job performance by how much time I spend on BFT. I can attest the same for worm and bobber. Shall I pass you along some references?
[signature]
A fishes genetics are there from birth. A young fish (small fish) still may have the genetics to grow big. So, if a sexually mature fish contributes in the spawning process, it still passes it's genes on to future generations.
Let's do a hypothetical scenario at Strawberry. Pretend you have a cutthroat that is born with "superior" genetics. This fish has the genes in it to grow to phenomenal sizes. By age 3 this fish might be 12". The next year its closer to 17". Is it a trophy? Not yet. But it is sexually mature, and it is currently spawning and passing it's "superior" genes on. The fish then reaches 18" and is caught by an angler who decides to illegally harvest the fish. It's dead. It never reached its size potential -- but it already passed on it's superior genes, most likely multiple times. Those genes are not lost. This is why you can't hardly breed out the genetics in a natural system. The fish are spawning and passing on genes long before they ever reach trophy size. The genes don't magically change during the lifetime of the fish.
On the other hand, take another newly born cutt that has "inferior" genes. Maybe this fish is only programed to grow to to 23" in size max. Again, this fish reaches sexually maturity and begins to spawn prior to the fish ever being removed from the system. At size 23", it is caught and removed -- but it has already passed on it's inferior genes -- numerous times over.
The difference with your cichlids at home is that you can weed out the small fish and not allow them to reach sexuall maturity. You can prevent them from ever passing those "inferior", or undesirable, traits to future generations. You leave your biggest fish in the tank and allow them to continue to breed, then again remove the smallest. It's easy in captivity where you control who is doing the breeding. You can't do it in nature where you have no control over who's doing the breeding.
So, at the Berry -- even if you lowered the slot limit to something like 17" -- those fish are still spawning and passing on their genetics to future fish. It doesn't matter the the spawning fish haven't reached their maximum potential size -- potential doesn't change the genetics. The genetics are there from day 1. Cutthroat in the Berry should be reaching sexual maturity at about 14". Unless we are harvesting every fish prior to sexual maturity, then all genes are being passed along, and the danger of breeding out "superior" genes is not a threat.
FWIW -- there are only two of us that ever participate in these forums -- if you are confusing me, my bro, and worm and bobber, then you are a very
person! FWIW2 -- I'm damn good at my job. Don't ever try to judge MY job performance by how much time I spend on BFT. I can attest the same for worm and bobber. Shall I pass you along some references?
[signature]