What do you guys make of this? Freddy colour changes..

[Mr.Firemouth]

I have had this very fin form develop in a breeding female and 1/2 the fry developed the same fins. An outcross corrected the problem thru selectively breeding a healthy fry of the deformed female to a completely different stock of FM's. I have yet to see it return. The genetic defect is still there but is currently suppressed.
When line breeding siblings many different dominant traits will override the recessive traits. The grow out of the fry tell the story in each case and the next breeding parents are the corrective actions. Once corrected breed the youngest fish back to a healthy grandparent to fix the strain, be it a color change or fin trait. This will make future generations breed true to that trait.
HTH, Rich

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

I had to go thru some files but I was able to find this older pic that shows the split dorsal defect in a 2cm fry. I don't have an SLR then or now so this was the best pic at the time but you can see the similarities.

You can see the nick in the fin. I didn't think much of it until these fish grew out. The fin completely seperated and the fish had 2 dorsals. I had about 50 like this that I sold to a LFS as culls. I explained the deformity but he wanted the fish so I gave them to him. I think he used them as feeders for his breeding Midas pair.

 

[Nahndo]

Wow! Thanks for all the info guys!
That has been great! "Spike" has certainly caused a bit of interest!
Yes, the last pic is what he looks like now, and he hasn't changed in a while.
All that colour change happened over a period of approx 1 year.
Polomax, could you please explain "xanthic" to me in more detail?
I have never heard of it before! And yes, he was bred in Australia!

Bolty, that Jag is stunning...and seems to pop up everywhere! LOL!

I feel that his dorsal deformity is genetic. He was really small when I got him, and when you look closely it's like there is a ray completely missing!! He actually has quite a gap betwen the split of normal skin. It's wierd!

I feel relieved as I was starting to wonder if he was a hybrid!
Cheers!

 

[ShadowStryder]

I agree that if he was born with that damaged/deformed fin then it can/will
be passed on. It was just that it was never clarified if/how the fin got that was. We were just saying that if it happened after birth does not mean that
it will be passed on.

 

[Nahndo]

Thanks again guys!
I forgot to thank Mr Firemouth for his great info!
That will sure come in handy!

I was really starting to worry that something was wrong with him, now I know different, and it feels GREAT!!
I will consider breeding him now, as I know he is fine and it is a colour morph!
Will be an interesting project, trying to breed in the xanthic morph, and breed out the fin deformity!

Cheers!

 

[Opiate]

that's mad dude!! hehe

 

[Tongue33]

This seems to be popping up everywhere in an array of different CA and SA cichlids lately Last month it was my bro's V. Fenestratus. Ended up being the Pink variant, in which they start out looking normal, and Blam you think they are sick or getting beat on and then Vuala!! Pink form

 

[invalid]

Old post I know but I'm from Australia an this is my freddy!!

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Nice looking fish.

 

[DBLN8]

Very nice!

Old post I know but I'm from Australia an this is my freddy!!

View attachment 1213483