> year at the ANGFA convention I made the prediction that praecox had
> already been inbred too much and that deformities would appear. I was
> thought to be a bit strange for saying that, unfortunetly it is now true.
I think that before one can say the fish are deformed as a result of
inbreeding you should try breeding from that stock to see if the same
deformities show up. If they don't then it is almost certainly not
genetic. Most of the "genetic" problems that people regularly report
in rainbows is not genetic. It is the result of poor environment, not
genes. I can create a thin rainbow by feeding lean and having some water
current vs creating a deep bodied rainbow by feeding them heavily. I can
bend their backs by feeding them a poor diet with poor water quality.
This doesn't mean they are genetically poor fish though as their
offspring, if raised under good conditions will be fine.
Tootles
Peter Unmack