breeding non-endemic ohio fish

lets say a Lepomis megalotis longear with a LM longear from else were for color and size.
is the lm smaller in other states for a reason other then lack of food
there just smaller . I realize I no very little about fish. so i will use a deer is a deer
but in the sub species from florida there are very small Odocoileus virginianus clavium keys deer yet
a canadian woodland deer OV Borealis is the largest around.
would it work with LM Longears to breed out a finished fish that was smaller for tank life and more brilliant in color?

if this is not in the right spot please move thanks

Tony

Edited by CATfishTONY, 29 October 2008 - 09:35 PM.

It's certainly possible to breed for size and color, with color probably being easier to control than size. Most of the color varieties of bettas, platies, mollies, and guppies are pretty recent in origin, but those fish have the advantage of being bred in large numbers and having short generation times. If you are going for a small, bright longear I think you will need to start with some northern longears, which are normally smaller, and either find high-colored individuals of those, or else cross them with some of the bigger, brighter central longears.

If you are serious about this you will need a big operation, with dozens or hundreds of tanks and careful record-keeping.

It's certainly possible to breed for size and color, with color probably being easier to control than size. Most of the color varieties of bettas, platies, mollies, and guppies are pretty recent in origin, but those fish have the advantage of being bred in large numbers and having short generation times. If you are going for a small, bright longear I think you will need to start with some northern longears, which are normally smaller, and either find high-colored individuals of those, or else cross them with some of the bigger, brighter central longears.

If you are serious about this you will need a big operation, with dozens or hundreds of tanks and careful record-keeping.

Newt thanks for the advice. as for now its just web talk. with this new found fish thing I'm into.
but i do under stand. we raise cuniculus rabbits.we breed them 2-3 times a year if the lighting is right.
we tag and log all birth and the way it happen. be it first run, f1. f2, cull all of shoots. (unwanted hue or size) and so on.
Newt can you direct me to a good spot for the northern LM longear?

Ah, so you've got the selective breeding thing down. You could try emailing the guys listed in the Commercial Vendors section; I believe Jonah's and Zimmerman's have offered northerns (L. m. peltastes) in the past.

Ah, so you've got the selective breeding thing down. You could try emailing the guys listed in the Commercial Vendors section; I believe Jonah's and Zimmerman's have offered northerns (L. m. peltastes) in the past.

Northern Longears, Lepomis megalotis paltastes is a different species from the Central Longear, Lepomis megalotis. Or rather a subspecies.

Not a good idea to cross them. For color, along with size the megalotis within a 100 miles of Joplin is possibly the brightest colored area variety in the country, whynot just get a trio of them?

Northern Longears, Lepomis megalotis paltastes is a different species from the Central Longear, Lepomis megalotis. Or rather a subspecies.

Not a good idea to cross them. For color, along with size the megalotis within a 100 miles of Joplin is possibly the brightest colored area variety in the country, whynot just get a trio of them?

Thanks i will look into this

Ah, so you've got the selective breeding thing down. You could try emailing the guys listed in the Commercial Vendors section; I believe Jonah's and Zimmerman's have offered northerns (L. m. peltastes) in the past.

Newt if there is anything I've learned in the past few decades with selective breeding is I do not have it figured out.
we have one bloodline of rabbit with bad teeth we have been unable to breed out.
LM longear breeding age is a slower turn around time so I would have to agree with you this would be a very long slow chore.

Edited by CATfishTONY, 03 November 2008 - 04:52 PM.