Do Spiders have enough genetic variation for viable selective breeding?

Kron · Oct 20, 2014

As a kid I often fantasized about basically playing god with animals and now that I have a tonne of D. cupreus spiderlings, that spark has lit up. Is the phenotypic variation in spiders, such as these, enough to even be noticed in order to identify a specific member as coloured/proportioned/sized differently, for breeding? Also would it be considered unethical to, say, increase their size or make them darker or something? Finally, if there is enough variation for one to verify and so selectively breed for that variation such as an increase in size or colour vibrancy, would there perhaps be a market?

klawfran3 · Oct 21, 2014

I am not too sure about all of that, but all I know is that if you figure it out I would be willing to pay good money for a foot long jumping spider!:biggrin:

SeanSYW · Oct 21, 2014

If you look at tarantulas there are different colour morphs for multiple species such as G. rosea NCF and RCF, H. incei gold and normal and the multitude colour forms for P. murinus. There are also some dealers that specify different hair lengths, so I would assume the same should be possible for true spiders. Due to the fact that trues generally mature faster and generations are shorter, the time before differences become visible between generations should be shorter than with tarantulas.

Kron · Oct 21, 2014

klawfran3 said:
I am not too sure about all of that, but all I know is that if you figure it out I would be willing to pay good money for a foot long jumping spider!:biggrin:

Might be dangerous, they would be constantly scheming for world domination

---------- Post added 10-21-2014 at 07:23 PM ----------

SeanSYW said:
If you look at tarantulas there are different colour morphs for multiple species such as G. rosea NCF and RCF, H. incei gold and normal and the multitude colour forms for P. murinus. There are also some dealers that specify different hair lengths, so I would assume the same should be possible for true spiders. Due to the fact that trues generally mature faster and generations are shorter, the time before differences become visible between generations should be shorter than with tarantulas.

Sounds good, my goal would be to (eventually) have them double in size, bring out the pattern on their abdomens and make the thorax a stronger red. I doubt I'll meet these goals but It'll be fun to try I think.

Spepper · Oct 21, 2014

People have selectively bred P. regius jumping spiders to have orange coloration instead of their natural black and white. The orange form does occur in nature, but people have selectively bred them to just have that. Salticstance, (Phids.net) has done it.

But basically, if the code for what you want to do isn't already in their DNA, then it isn't going to happen. I wish you luck though!

sezra · Oct 25, 2014

why? I seriously dont see the point in what you are trying to achieve.

Kron · Oct 25, 2014

Making money plus an enlarged version of my favourite spider plus scientific curiosity plus my playing god fantasy. Why wouldn't I want to?! or do you mean How would this help society? in which case you could ask that about any hobby

jigalojey · Oct 25, 2014

Thats pretty cool, in Australia it is noted that different localities of the same spider have different traits, for example Phlogius sarina, some locales when sarina molt they come out a medium black and it lasts about a week but other locales (superior locale as I like to think) post molt into an almost pitch black tarantula and the colour lasts for months and There is a Phlogius Goliath locale that grows MUCH larger (1-2 inches more) and thicker than the normal P.goliaths in the hobby, they also go a dark chocolate brown rather than the wishy washy sand colour.

Galapoheros · Oct 25, 2014

I try and breed the most colorful and biggest I have; spider, scorpion or tarantula. The genes are there to revert back, people have done some crazy things with the wolf.

Malhavoc's · Oct 26, 2014

For awhile I did selective breeding of P regalis. (jumpers)

My results were varied, some slight colour variations, size variations, but over all. It did not quite turned out as planned, either poor records on my end, or something in their Genes I did not know about as there was still a highly variable randomness to it. That said, I achieved a 25% size increase. but was mostly aiming for colour variants.

Do Spiders have enough genetic variation for viable selective breeding?

Kron

Arachnosquire

klawfran3

Arachnolord

SeanSYW

Arachnosquire

Kron

Arachnosquire

Spepper

Arachnodemon

sezra

Arachnosquire

Kron

Arachnosquire

jigalojey

Arachnoknight

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod

Malhavoc's

Arachnoking