>Bruce said in an earlier email that in fact the opposite was true - he has frequently (?) caught the same
>fish in the same locality showing different colour variations.
>In the case of killies - they are annual fish living in (generally) small bodies of water isolated from each
>other physically thus leading to variations in local populations. In the case of Rainbows - there are
>numerous populations of the same species (albeit with different colour forms) living in close proximity -
>sometimes in the same creek (but at different ends) but more often in adjacent creeks. Is the situation any
>different from Killies?
Yes, it is different, also if you catch rainbowfish in different years with seemingly different colour strains
you still catch fish from the same genepool. Even if fish come from upstream there is still a continuous
connection. This is different to killies as there changes may be much more dramatic and there may be
isolation for years. Additionally you sometimes have only very small habitats with a only small genepool,
where genetic changes may cause changes in the shape and colouration within years.
>I believe that each colour form has its own merit and should be preserved. If you were to find a Boesmani
>(in the wild) that exhibited orange stipes on the rear half of the body rather than a solid colouring would
>you try to preserve that characteristic or simply throw it in with the rest of the "normal" Boesmani?
No, if you do so, you're doing wrong. What is the "normal" Boesemani? What we know is just a very small
sample. Please remember that our original stocks came from some 20 fishes! We don't really know the
whole variety of colours which Boesemani may expose in nature. As all Boesemani come from one lake it is
useless to breed colour varieties as they come from a single genepool and you must not select for colour if
you want to conserve the wild type - we had this discussion already, that doesn't mean that you must not
select any unfit specimens.
>I am against breding rainbows to obtain specific attributes or colourings, but if Mother Nature provides
>them, then lets maintain them according to her plan...
Are you sure? We just see a small window of what mother nature provides us with.
>Incidentally, I read Sergei Makarenko's reply to your letter (in the last IRG magazine). The guy is really
>doing it tough. Given the state of the Russian postoffice, etc.. do you think it likely that a parcel sent to
>him would be likely to reach him?
Well, I sent him some money and it reached him and - to be honest - I was ashamed what he was able to buy
with this money- not much enough for a two person dinner for one of us. You can't be sure that everything
will reach him but he is in a very poor situation and I think that everything which reaches him will really
help him. However, I think it's better to send him money as the costs for the parcel will be very high as he
need such things like sugar, petrol, salt and really basic things to just survive. I think these people in
Russia in the moment just get some basic food like bread and potatoes but no money except for months ago.
He can't often afford the money for the letter postage to write us!
Harro