Those looking to spice up their aquariums with some controversial little fish will get the chance this week — though they may have trouble immediately finding the genetically engineered, glow-in-the-dark fish in Lawrence pet shops.

Yorktown Technologies, a Texas-based company, will today begin distributing its genetically enhanced GloFish, a zebra fish that glows in the dark under black light.

The red GloFish will be the first genetically modified pet to go on sale in the United States.

Earl Rose, a 35-year-old Lawrence resident, says he thinks GloFish are a good, fun idea for fish enthusiasts.

“That’s something we’re excited about,” Rose said Friday afternoon on his way out of Pet World. “As long as animals weren’t harmed during the procedure, it’s a cool idea.”

In early December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided it would not ban or regulate the sale of GloFish.

“In the absence of a clear risk to the public health, the FDA finds no reason to regulate these particular fish,” the FDA said in its official statement.

Rose said he was concerned with whether the fish could survive outside a genetically preserved environment.

According to Yorktown Technologies, the GloFish Red Zebra Danio is a Red Zebra Danio fish that is implanted before it is hatched with a naturally occurring gene from sea coral. All GloFish are bred from the original genetically enhanced fish. The fish keep the color throughout their life and pass the colors on to offspring.

Kelly McCoy, marine fish manager at Pet World, said the store wouldn’t carry GloFish immediately, despite increasing interest from the community.

“We want to see how they do in people’s tanks first,” she said.

GloFish are Red Zebra Danio fish genetically altered to glow in the dark under a black light.

Like Rose, McCoy said the store’s owners were waiting to see how the fish fared outside of the lab, in people’s home aquariums.

McCoy said the ethical issue of breeding genetically altered fish for the novelty and profit involved wasn’t the reason Pet World wouldn’t be selling the fish, priced about $5 each, anytime soon.

“I don’t think many serious fish keepers will want to buy them. Most people want natural fish,” McCoy said. “They are trying to create a specific biome in their tank.”

GloFish

Chris Weber, aquatics specialist at Petco Animal Supplies, said the store would not likely sell the fish for about a year.

Many animal-rights groups have protested the sale of GloFish, warning of the possibility the fish might harm the environment if released into the wild. The Fish and Game Commission of California, the only state with a ban on genetically engineered species, in early December preemptively blocked the sale of GloFish in the state.

Yorktown officials say the GloFish are no different than regular Red Zebra Danio fish, but cannot reproduce in the wild.

Red Zebra Danio fish have long been used by marine life scientists to help detect pollutants in water.

Under an ultraviolet or black light, the GloFish luminescence makes it appear as though it glows in the dark. Yorktown says the GloFish will be available in colors other than red in the future.

But for now, Lawrence residents who want the GloFish will have to wait.

“It’s something to think about,” McCoy said.

“If they turn out healthy, we would definitely consider getting them in.”