Glowing Green Fish Sold at Taiwan Market ( Frankenfish)

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> Glowing Green Fish Sold at Taiwan Market

> Mon Jul 7,10:04 PM ET

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> By STEPHAN GRAUWELS, Associated Press Writer

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> TAIPEI, Taiwan - Their weird glowing green color makes them look like

> they've been swimming in a nuclear plant's spent fuel pond.

>

> But the zebra fish on sale in Taipei shops have an even stranger

> background: They're the latest in genetically modified fish, and their

> bodies contain DNA from jellyfish, which makes them shimmer in the dark.

>

> Shopkeepers call them " Night Pearls. " Some have nicknamed them

> " Frankenfish. " Their makers at the Taipei-based Taikong Corp. use the less

> catchy name of " TK-1 " and say they are the world's first genetically

> engineered fluorescent fish.

>

> They've been on the market in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia for

> about three months, said Bill Kuo, a spokesman for Taikong, which owns a

> chain of pet stores.

>

> Now the fish are getting ready to cross the Pacific and swim into the U.S.

> market this month.

>

> Kuo says the company anticipated fears that the genetically modified

> animals might spread uncontrollably and harm the environment, so it made

> sure that they were unable to produce offspring.

>

> In April, the company turned out 10,000 fluorescent fish, and that figure

> has been doubling every month since, Kuo said. Beginning in August,

monthly

> production should stabilize at more than 100,000, Kuo said.

>

> So far, only the greenish TK-1 has been on sale. But next year, they

should

> get the company of a red mate, the TK-2. Later, the two colors will be

> combined in the TK-3, Kuo said.

>

> " The original zebra fish are all colorless, " he said.

>

> Not everyone is satisfied with the genetic engineering.

>

> " It must be really dark to see it, " said Maria Hung, who sells the glowing

> fish at her Goldfish Family store in Taipei.

>

> At 600 New Taiwan dollars (US$17.40) each, the fish don't come cheap. The

> goldfish in the next bowl cost only NT$10 (US$0.29) a piece, Hung said.

>

> " Since I started selling the fluorescent fish last month, I haven't found

a

> single buyer, " Hung said.

>

> Taikong says its project is still in its infancy.

>

> " We spent NT$100 million (US$2.9 million) developing this fish, " Kuo said,

> defending the relatively high cost for consumers.

>

> He also said admiring fluorescent fish in the dark is an acquired taste.

>

> " It's still a curiosity. We're covering new territory here, " he said.

>

>

>

> The same type of fish were also on sale at an Azoo store at the Asiaworld

> Plaza, one of Taipei's upscale shopping malls. The Azoo chain is part of

> Taikong Corp.

>

> The store attendant pulled a curtain to turn a corner of the shop dark.

> Then she switched on a blue light above the tank and the fish became

> visible, silvery bodies crowned by a greenish glow.

>

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