Interesting variations of Gold/Albino Roseline Sharks

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yoyopeter

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 20, 2010
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About 10 months ago, I purchased a group of 5 x 1.5 inch Albino/Gold Roseline sharks from a LFS. This was an interesting bunch as I got a few different "results" from these fairly uncommon fish.

2 of them that were whiter than the rest of the group had very poor vision and one ending up dying as it wasn't able to find food. The bottom fish in the picture is the blind fish, top fish is the healthier gold roseline.
IMG-3312.jpg

Of the other 3 "normal" gold roseline sharks, this one in particular (pictured below) went through some interesting fading/color changes. It started off like one of the yellowish gold roselines with black spots, as if it wasn't a perfectly gold roseline shark with pigments in some of it's scales. However, over the course of the last 4-5 months, this fish's color turned into the color of a normal (non-gold) roseline shark! A few months later, it faded back into it's original dirty gold albino colors. I wish I took some pictures deeper into it's transition, but something tells me it's going to turn back into a normal looking roseline shark soon as it's black/darker pigments are starting to come back. I'll be sure to document it as this happens again (if it does).

IMG-3311.jpg

I know "fading" occurs with a handful of household freshwater fish, but has anyone ever heard of a roseline shark fading, and then reverting back to normal colors, and then fading back again??
 
Mine changed colors aswell. Some more black than others. It comes and go. Maybe it depends on the water chemistry. Had one that changed into a regular roseline and it never changed back. I also had some albino ones in that batch. And those never change colors. I miss my group, they died last summer cuz the tank got in the 90's.
 
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Great pics! Cool color variation! I'm sorry that I don't know enough to answer your question .. I just wanted to comment on the pics and the fish! Nice!
 
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This is my group from a few years ago... over half of them went from normal to xanthic coloration on a pretty normal basis. Everytime I added spirulina or astaxanthin to their diet they would exhibit more golden/yellow tones.
 
This is my group from a few years ago... over half of them went from normal to xanthic coloration on a pretty normal basis. Everytime I added spirulina or astaxanthin to their diet they would exhibit more golden/yellow tones.

Thanks for sharing! I’ll play around with their diet to observe any changes.

I’m wondering now if the whiter gold roselines are actually true albino specimens, hence the poor vision/blindness, and the more yellow gold roselines are actually xanthic...
 
Thanks for sharing! I’ll play around with their diet to observe any changes.

I’m wondering now if the whiter gold roselines are actually true albino specimens, hence the poor vision/blindness, and the more yellow gold roselines are actually xanthic...
most of yours are along the xanthic morph lines... i had a few true albinos and a few true leucistic ones as well.. let me find the video.
 
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