[RandomWiktor]

Culling: Motivations, Methods, and Morals
© RandomWiktor

Introduction
The world of betta husbandry, it seems, is constantly host to fiercely heated ethical contentions. Be it minimum gallonage, behavior needs, fighting, or breeding, rarely is there an issue in the hobby wherein diametrically opposed views do not exist. Thus, it should come as no surprise that culling, a common breeding practice, has become the subject of debate among keepers. This article seeks to present non-biased information on culling practices, including rationale, methodology, and of course alternate perspectives.

What is Culling?
Culling is a term used in animal husbandry, and pertains specifically to population management. It describes the practice of selectively killing individual animals to regulate numbers - presumably for the sake of resource availability or health, though as you will read, reasons for culling vary vastly. In betta keeping, culling has been a common method for reducing large spawn numbers to a more manageable level, removing deformed and defective animals from the breeding population, and in some cases, destroying all individuals that do not meet a narrow set of breeder goals. Many methods of culling are utilized, and culling may occur from the egg/embryonic state to adulthood.

Common Motivations for Culling

• Regulation Spawn Size - In a single breeding, bettas may produce hundreds of viable offspring. Depending on the breeder's space, funding, resource, and time constraints, as well as the desirability of stock, culling may be utilized to reduce spawn numbers to better focus on the rearing and sale of the survivors.
• Regulation of Stock - Though bettas may be fertile for a significant portion of their lifespan, the window of time in which they are at their breeding prime and least likely to produce deformed or defective offspring is comparatively small. As a result, older non-breeding adults who can not be sold are sometimes culled to conserve breeder resources and make space for new stock.
• Selectivity of Stock - When a breeder is working towards a specific goal - a particular color or tail type, for example - he or she may, in some cases, cull all fry who do not meet the breeding objective. In many cases, undesirable but healthy stock will be sold. However, in some cultures, situations, and ethical paradigms, culling healthy fish is considered acceptable and is a manner of investing resources in the preferred fish without "wasting" money on undesired fish.
• Removal of Unfit Individuals - One of the most common reasons betta are culled is to remove unfit individuals from the gene pool. Deformities and defects are typically present in every spawn, and while many severely affected individuals will die early in development, less marked problems such as bent spines, swim bladder disorder, or missing fins will not kill the fish but merely make it unacceptable as breeding stock. Some breeders feel that these fish should not even be adopted out as it would be irresponsible lest they be bred and the inferior genetics passed on; others have no problem adopting such animals to pet-only homes.
• Humane Destruction of Severely Afflicted Individuals - Some breeders only cull bettas with a diminished quality of life. Malformations that affect the fish's functionality, such as jaw deformities, will be dispatched less for herd health than for mercy. What constitutes "poor quality of life" is a matter of personal philosophy, and may weigh heavily on the likelihood of a suitable adopter being available to tend to time consuming special needs.

© Shubhankar Bivalkar

Betta spawns result in large numbers of offspring.

Common Methods of Culling
Disclaimer: UltimateBettas advocates humane betta husbandry, so please note that there will be some bias against methods known to cause suffering.

• Limitation of Spawning - A normal spawning between a healthy, conditioned pair may generate hundreds of offspring in the right conditions. If the breeder lacks the resources for or simply doesn't prefer large spawn size, but has reservations against culling fish, a simple method of regulating the population is to limit the spawn size. This can be done in many ways. Some only allow the male a small area (ie. a small piece of floating styrofoam) to make his nest and destroy all nesting done outside of this area before spawning. Some will allow the male to only place so many eggs in the nest and will remove the rest. Some remove or destroy part of the nest after eggs have been placed in it. Some interrupt the spawning before the female has released all of her eggs. These methods come with advantages and concerns; be sure to ask the specifics on the breeding boards if you are inexperienced and trying any of these methods for the first time.
• Feeding Off - Once the spawn has hatched, excess young can be fed off to predatory fish; this is among the most common methods of culling. This can occur at any stage; very young fry can be consumed by older bettas, while juveniles through adults may be fed to larger predators like cichlids, oscars, etc. While feeding off undesired fish may seem brutal, death is typically swift, and there is no "waste" of the destroyed animals.
• Euthanasia - "Euthanasia" comes from the Greek "eu," meaning good or well, and "thanatos," meaning death. Its definition, though traditionally thought of as the ending of a life mercifully to alleviate the suffering of a terminal condition, can simply mean "an easy, quiet or painless death; dying well." Therefore euthanasia in the latter sense applies to humane methods used to cull. Euthanasia techniques are a hotly debated topic among fishkeepers and are best resolved by appealing to higher authorities. The AVMA and many other veterinary organizations have guidelines for the acceptable methods of euthanasia of fish that are the only researched, approved, known to be humane methods. Other methods exist with fair evidence that they are humane or acceptable, but are not formally considered acceptable techniques for humane euthanasia. You can read about euthanasia techniques in this article.
• Other methods - Breeders may cull in ways that are not considered humane as well, such as freezing, flushing, boiling, or caustic chemicals (ie. bleach). While these methods are often cost-effective and will certainly kill the fish, UltimateBettas.com frowns upon these methods as inhumane. You can read about why these methods are not considered humane in this article.

© RandomWiktor

Predatory fish are commonly used to cull unwanted stock

The Adoption Alternative
Some breeders elect to remove undesired fish from the breeding pool via adoption rather than culling. Fish who have imperfections or defects yet still have a good quality of life, or who are otherwise undesired despite being healthy, can be rehomed to individuals looking to add a betta to their family who perhaps do not wish to support pet stores or can not afford fish from overseas breeders. Adoption is beneficial in that it provides options outside of pet store purchases while allowing flawed but healthy bettas to survive. The primary drawback is that the fish are not definitely removed from the gene pool; an adopter, even if they've claimed otherwise, may elect to breed these defective fish - thus perpetuating unhealthy genes in the captive pool. Like all animal adoptions, betta adoptions should be carefully screened to ensure that they will reach a knowledgeable and ethical caregiver.

© RandomWiktor

These fish were adopted out by their breeders due to deformities that made them ineligible for breeding.

Considerations About Culling
Opinions within the hobby range dramatically from individuals who think that culling is always utterly unacceptable, to individuals who feel that culling can be done in any way under any circumstances. Most opinions fall somewhere in the middle insofar as rationale and methodology go. It is probably reasonable for most to consider that fry with deformities that severely limit the quality of life are appropriate candidates to be humanely culled. However, the reality of the situation is that there will always be reasons for or methods of culling that one may not agree with. For this reason, the issue is a very personal one, and should be dealt with tactfully; never rush to condemn those who cull, but if the matter is important to you, it is your right as a consumer to be informed of a potential source's culling practices - don't hesitate to ask.

Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide has demystified a practice that is often considered taboo within the hobby. Culling is a complex issue for breeders and buyers alike, and being well-informed is vital to decision and opinion making. It is important to remember that cultural perspectives and moral philosophies vary dramatically within the hobby. It is difficult to definitively call all aspects of culling "right" or "wrong;" what can be known with certainty is that it is a widespread practice with practical purposes and ethical implications.

[big54bob]

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