“Hybrids in killifish are intriguing,” admits Harry Specht. On the whole, however, hybrids are undesirable except for research or purely “hobby” purposes, where the fish are distributed in (at most) a very limited manner.
It is well known that many killifish will interbreed if given the opportunity; some may even produce beautiful (and fertile) offspring. However, the presence of hybrids, viable or not, in the hobby blurs the lines that demarcate species, further confusing an issue already sufficiently confusing. Years ago, Col. Scheel did a great deal of hybridizing in an attempt to determine the relationships of various species, thus proving (and disproving) a number of disputed links in killifish geneaology then destroyed the fish, being fearful that these hybrids would be distributed in the hobby to “pollute” the existing strains.
“His fears were well grounded,” Harry maintains. “The same concerns exist today, and we must continue to strive to prevent the same thing from happening.”
That does not mean that there are not those creating hybrids, either from individual curiosity, or for scientific purposes. The American Killifish Association maintains a Hybrid Committee, whose purpose is to keep track of such hybrid stock, and which invites anyone to list or register the hybrids they have produced. It is the AKA’s stated position, however, that hybrids should not be distributed.In fact, hybrids may not be distributed through the AKA’s Business Newsletter.
— G.C.K.A. Newsletter, May 1998