right|thumb|200px|painted parambassis ranga specimen. a needle was used to inject the pink dye in this example. the term painted fish refers to ornamental aquarium fish which have been artificially coloured to appeal to consumers. this artificial colouring, also known as juicing, is achieved by a number of methods, such as injecting the fish with a hypodermic syringe containing bright fluorescent colour dye, dipping the fish into a dye solution, or feeding the fish dyed food. this process is usually done to make the fish a brighter colour and more attractive to consumers. the colouring of the fish is not permanent, and usually fades away in six to nine months. ==methods== there are a number of methods for introducing artificial colour to fish, although specific information on methodology is sometimes scanty. ===dyes=== a common method of creating "painted fish" is through injection via syringe. generally, fish are injected multiple times.  fish may also be dipped in a caustic solution to strip their outer slime coat, then dipped in dye. this method is reported to have a very high mortality rate. many varieties of "colour-enhancing" foods for aquarium fishes are available to the consumer. generally, these foods contain natural dyes, such as beta carotene, and are not harmful to fish, although as with other dye methods, the effect is temporary. one source reports that harmful dyes are sometimes used by wholesalers, however. ===lasers=== fish can also be tattooed using a low-intensity laser with a dye, a process developed for fisheries by scientists but this technique is now applied to ornamental fish. ===genetic modification=== aquarium fish genetically modified to fluoresce in bright colours under white or ultraviolet light are now available commercially in the united states, under the trade name glofish. the technology was developed originally to produce a fish capable of detecting environmental pollution.{{cite web | title =
Animal_welfare Fishkeeping