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Blood Parrot Fish

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by LIFishGuy on Feb 17
Blood Parrot Fish

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Description: Parrot Fish at 4 Years old, about 6"
6 Comments on Blood Parrot Fish
  • johnarthur says
    This guy looks like a very colorful goldfish, but he's a hybrid Cichlid. Are they rare in the aquarium hobby?
  • LIFishGuy says
    They are very common now in most aquarium stores. They are a cross between a Red Devil and a Gold Severum. The Red Devil component explains its sometimes agressive nature. They actually go after my arm when im putzing around in the tank. Most do not look as red as the ones I have. I feed them a special diet formulated to sustain color, and is specifically meant for blood parrots. They are steril and cannot reproduce, such is the nature of all blood parrots so Im told. Somehow this cross breeding renders them steril at birth.
  • angela_brown says
    Ah... a debate! LOL! Not really, but I just read an article of this exact fish! It stated that there have been some reports of Blood Parrots and another fish that is supposed to be steril (I'll have to relook it up) REPRODUCING!!! It's not supposed to happen at all... The hybridization of the 2 species, it's like a nature no no. But it's happened, and the pet stores are definately charging enough for them. The fact that they were sterile, I guess that justified it. But now there's reports of them breeding and there's concern. I'll look up that article and post what I find. Beautiful fish!
  • KristinAnn says
    I'm a horse person as well as a fish person. Mules (horse-donkey crosses) are technically sterile. Because they have an odd number of chromosomes, they cannot produce fetrile gametes (sex cells, ie sperm or egg). However, they have been cases in which a mule has reproduced with a horse or donkey. When the DNA of the mule was tested, one of the gametes it had recieved from one of the parents was mutated, and had an extra chromosome. Thus, the mule had an even number of chromosomes.
  • KristinAnn says
    Perhaps it it a similar case with the blood parrots you had heard of, Angela? In either case, it's phenominal. That a mutation would occur that is not only not fatal to the fetus/animal, but also renders it able to reproduce when it typically wouldn't be able to? Incredible, if you ask me.
  • johnarthur says
    Thanks for that explanation. I knew that hybrids are usually sterile but was not aware that it was caused by an odd number of chromosomes. If a random mutation made a Parrot Fish fertile, somebody probably used it in a selective breeding program or maybe they did some gene splicing like they did to make a Danio glow fish. Come to think of it, i put on a little weight lately, and quite a few of my genes need splicing to let out the waist. Rolling Eyes
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