yeah I saw videos of his xanthic a couple months back and posted a thread about it. He actually got in the thread and posted this:
"Hi guys/gals...its mine. Its a genetic mutation that makes him that color...defintion according to wikipedia:
Xanthochromism (also called xanthochroism or xanthism) is a term that may be applied to birds, fish and other animals whose colouration is unusually yellow through an excess of yellow pigment, or possibly a loss of darker pigments that allows yellow pigment to be unusually dominant. It is often associated with the lack of usual red pigmentation and its replacement with yellow.
Its unclear the exact percentage it happens to, but apparently its rare. No one has been able to find another other than a UK MFK member that had one a few yrs ago. I have been working on trying to spawn him but havent had the time to dedicate what is needed with a switch in jobs, travel for work and a recent death in the family.
The female is the 4th I think and one that he immediately took a liking to. They spawned but ate the eggs, then he tried to kill her. I remove the divider occasionally and a month or so ago I thought they were going to spawn again but didnt and she went crazy, so the divider went back in.
They are currently at my brothers house because Ive been traveling for work since January. He said hes had some promising days with them but no actual spawn. He has them together in a 180 with 2 huge bichirs.
The male grew WAY faster than I had anticipated and I believe my 120 is too small for them to comfortably spawn in. IME a 9" fish doesnt usually grow 3-4" in a few months like he did. The female is (if I remember the story correctly) one of the females AquaMojo brought back from Honduras that was part of a pair that the male died or jumped from the tank. I bought it from Rapps in 2011.
Anyways, Im trying to get spawns but dont know how much longer I will keep them. I just dont have the time to dedicate to it that it needs.
Heres the process, supposedly...with the goal being a xanthic pair and other xanthics for everyone that wants them:
xanthic x normal = 100 % carriers (= normal looking)
carrier x carrier = 25 % normal, 50 % carrier, 25 % xanthic
xanthic x carrier = 50 % xanthic, 50 % carrier
carrier x normal = 50 % carrier, 50 % normal (note that in this case you will have no clue which individuals are carrier and which are normal!)
xantic x xanthic = 100 % xanthic
This has never been replicated like this with xanthochromism though and a few more knowledgeable members than I have said the other guys that had the male in the UK were never able to do this. I dont know how far they got into the project though. It would take approx 2 yrs probably and growing out of tons of fry to find females compatible. "
So if you are able to get one of these put me down for some.
