A couple of months ago I had two Yellow Lab sisters hold and spit within days of each other, with about 8 babies each. After a few days I put them together in a 6G Eclipse growout tank since they were the same size and the same species.

Now I have:

* 8 gorgeous bright yellow baby yellow labs going on 1/2" in length

* 8 dirty-yellow babies about half their size.

I've always read that hybrids often are less robust than their purebred cousins, but had never seen such a striking example.

When I next move them I'm going to cull the hybrids, but it breaks my heart to do it. Nevertheless, I REALLY understand now how hybridization in the aquarium (that wouldn;t happen in the Lake) weakens species.

I've never actually experienced it first hand. That's amazing the difference. Do you have pictures?

Don, they may not be "hybrids". They may just be throwbacks to some poor quality stock in the lineage of the parents.

Unfortunately, it happens all the time with Yellow labs...There is such a high demand for them that everyone is breeding them, and there isn't alot of regard for the quality of the fish they are breeding, or where they came from.

Honestly, as much as I love them, I will never buy anymore until Larry lets me know he's got babies from those wild ones...

Now, if they aren't showing any black on the dorsal, they may be hybrids, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions if they are just "dirty".

Kim

sometimes as they grow, the color improves too.

I wouldnt cull them myself

Les is right, too. I've seen pale yellow lab fry grow up to be some of the nicest looking adults you've ever seen!

As far as selling them, I wouldn't...But I would keep them and grow them out for my own tanks to see how they look once they mature a bit.

Kim

The Emperor and Empress go "Thumbs up!" No culling for now. Cloud 9

When work calms down some I'll try to get some decent pics.