For several years now, the first exotic aquarium fish after the goldfish—the paradise fish (Macropodus)—has been enjoying renewed attention. This is partly because new interesting wild forms have been discovered, but also because breeders are putting more effort into the animals again and offering high-quality specimens. Macropodus species have been crossed in aquariums since the late 19th century, and the hybrids, some of which are very attractive, have been marketed as “new species.” This brought in good money for the breeders, but the customers felt somewhat duped. While hybrids are sometimes highly sought after in bird breeding and there is hardly a garden flower that cannot be traced back to crossbreeding, crossbreeding species is still somewhat frowned upon in ornamental fish. However, this does little to change the fact that virtually all livebearers on the market are the result of crossbreeding. In our opinion, there is nothing wrong with hybrids if they are clearly labeled as such. Then every buyer can decide for themselves.
We have now received “Snakeskin Paradise” from Singapore. We believe these fish to be hybrids. It is difficult to say exactly who or what was crossed. Experience has shown that Macropodus hybrids, similar to Xiphophorus species, can be backcrossed to the parent species. This introduces new genes into the parent species and results in new strains that are fully capable of reproduction. The new “Snakeskin” are undoubtedly reminiscent of the “Blue Tiger” (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/macropodus-blue-tiger-2/), which is also a hybrid. However, according to our research, the “Snakeskin” used to breed it are not identical to the new “Snakeskin,” but are slightly differently marked black macopods (M. spechti).
In any case, since the new “Snakeskin” are strikingly colored animals with an intrepid temperament and coloration that develops very early (the photographed fish are only 3-4 cm long), they are sure to find buyers. In any case, they are very beautiful!
For our customers: the animals have code 426082 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale customers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
