Flowerhorn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flowerhorn, also called Luohan, is a breed of Cichlid. Flowerhorns are thought to arise from the man-made hybridization of a number of cichlid species, from South and Central America. Most notably flowerhorns include Cichlasoma trimaculatum and fishes from the Amphilophus citrinellus (or another fish of the red devil cichlid) complex. Flowerhorns first emerged for sale on the aquarium market in Malaysia in the late 1990s. As a probable intergeneric hybrid the fish lacks a specific Latin name. Flowerhorns are, unlike many other hybrids, fertile.
Other notable inclusions in the flowerhorns breeding are Cichlasoma festae and Vieja synspila ('Redheaded' cichlid). Only the original breeders know exactly which species they crossbred to create the Flowerhorn cichlid. Given the vast amount of mixing, it is doubtful any recorded details of hybridisations exist.
There is a superstitious belief in the Far East that ownership of a Flowerhorn brings good fortune, especially in gambling. The hump that the adult male fish develops is said to resemble the Chinese god of longevity, and it is believed that the owners luck will grow if the fish's hump grows. The males are thus the most commercially valuable. Flowerhorns have distinctive markings on their sides, which can be interpreted as recognisable symbols. It is also noteworthy that the original species from which these cichlids were hybridised also display a number of these traits.
The market for Flowerhorns exhibited a classic boom and bust cycle of a craze, with rarity at the start and a huge oversupply at the end. The height of the craze was in 2003, and was mainly in Singapore.
Flowerhorns are hardy and very undemanding fish to keep in an aquarium. They do, however, require large aquariums due to their large size - they can grow up to 16 inches long. They are aggressive and carnivorous, and thus can only be kept with other large aggressive fish.
The end of the craze caused surplus stock to be dumped in the wild, where they survived and caused havoc in the riverine ecosystems, especially in Malaysia. Flowerhorns are regarded as a negative by most cichlid hobbyists for a number of reasons:
1. The demand for “new” and “different” breeds of hybrids such as the flowerhorn has lead to a number of cruel practices including tattooing of fish, removal of tails or eyes and intentional damage to the spine.
2. They make identification of similar cichlids difficult. The cichlids of genus Aulonocara are a good example of the potential problems associated with identification. The presence of many hybrid Aulonocara would make identification almost impossible.
3.Hybrid cichlids have the potential to be accidentally bred with “pure” species lines. This has already occurred in a number of cichlids commonly kept in the hobby, for example, Vieja synspilus or Amphilophus citrinellum.
4.The cichlid keeping hobby has responsibilities to the fish it is dedicated to in ecological terms. Although not currently standard practice, pure species may, in the future, be required for re-introduction to habitats currently under threat from urban development.
5. Some hybrid fish exhibit particularly deformed anatomical features which lead to troubles feeding, swimming and undertaking behaviour normal to these fishes. This is of considerable moral and ethical concern.
