Question: UV reactive Axies (Ambystoma mexicanum)?

[Axie]

In my wandering through the web, I came across a classified advert selling Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) from Illinois, at first all was as usual, leucistic, wild type juveniles etc - and then I noticed that the seller was also advertising Axies that glowed a bright green in blacklight (Ultra violet light). I've heard of the fish that glow in the dark because of the addition of jellyfish DNA which have then been bred to carry the gene themselves to their offspring. Has anybody come across these before? Are there animal cruelty implications (will the colouring stress them out etc..)or are they happy like this? does it affect their longevity? legalities (pref in the uk)? I am (obviously) intrigued by the idea but I don't wish to encourage someone who may be being unkind to animals.

[Chirple]

I have one, but that's not the reason I got it (it was injured).

I've always thought about the implications - it's mostly bred as an inherited trait, no longer injected, but it does still bother me a little. Injecting an animal with glowy DNA isn't really the worst thing you can do to it - though other than the "at one point poked them with needles" thing, there's also the implication that these animals are being sold to people who think they're "cool" because they glow by people who can't even advise them how to properly care for them. Nothing new on that front, but the "glow" is an extra lure.

The lights that make them glow do stress them out, especially when they're bright, and they're not good for their health. So you're not really going to see them fluoresce all that often - just turning a light on for a minute and off. I suppose this ties into the "implications" above - where shops will advertise that people keep them under blacklight all the time, thereby stressing them out just so they look "cool".

I don't have a "good" or "bad" opinion of them, just looking at this from all sides. :)

I don't know about health concerns, I would guess they're too "new" to really have a clear picture of that.

[Axie]

Thanks for your reply. It does seem to make sense that the glow would stress them out, Ponyo (my Leuc I had before I moved house) was a very shy graceful girl and I can't see her being too happy with a big green glow following her around. I think I'll probably end up getting a melanoid as I'm not completely comfortable with the whole idea of encouraging people to sell "novelty" pets or having a poor little stressed out Axie, that and getting another (non glowing) Leuc will just remind me of Ponyo and it wont be fair on the new arrival. I'm not against genetic modifications per se, I just wish people would think more about the animal they're doing it to and what they're doing and think a little about it's future life. Danio's are one thing but little axies are much more sensitive and intelligent and as far as I'm aware like cool *dark* spaces. Thanks for the info, it confirmed some of the bits I wasn't too keen on. Although if I see one in need of a rehome in the future I wouldn't cast the idea away, I just wouldn't use a blacklight and give it lots of hideyholes from the nasty light :) cheers again for the response.