Do Early Colours = Older Colours?

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C

Calvin Klein

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 15, 2011
262
3
18
British Columbia
This is a question I have been meaning to ask for sometime but continually forget when I'm on. How much does the early colouration of a fish determine it's colour quality as an adult? I know some fish begin quite dull and colour up as they get older. I know that diet, substrate and water quality are also factors. I imagine good genetics are very important. Here is an example. I have seen 1.5 inch green terrors with blood-orange edging on their fins and I have also seen ones that are closer to a washed out cream corn yellow. Is it possible for that washed out yellow colour to develop into the brighter redish orange colours I see on others or is that fish destined to have poorer colouration than the other young ones? I often see fish that don't look as nice as others I have seen and I wonder "What if I buy it, give it everything it needs, can I turn it into something amazing or should I just wait until a better looking young fish comes along?". Please let me know what you guys have experienced and know. (Please forgive my Canadian spelling of "colour"). Ha ha!;)
 
Hello; In many species the best coloration happens during active breeding periods. Many of the native north american species of minnows and darters are very striking during the breeding season but quite dull the rest of the year. I think this is a survival strategy so as not to stand out to predators except when it is important.
I purchased a group of young tiger barbs and raised them to full maturity. Of the group a few showed more striking coloration than the rest. I lost a couple of the most colorful over time and it seems that the others have become much more colorful since. It seems likely that dominance plays a role.
 
I know about the breeding colours and tank dominance but what about straight up the colours showing at youth by two different fish of the same species. Can the less colourful young fish turn out to be as nice as the young one that sports great colours from an earlier age?
 
I really would like to know more about this too. I have a gang of peacock Bass and they are small, about 4"-5". Sometimes I see much nicer pBass posted at the same size and I wonder whether mine would achieve the nice adult color that I'm looking for when they grow out to be about 12". My Flagtail too has the same dull colors at 5" and I'm hoping he would have bright red colors when he hits about may be 8"?
 
Hello; I suppose you are asking if a fishes coloration is essentially set from birth. The answer, within the already noted circumstances in this thread, is likely yes. One of the advantages of sexual reproduction is that there are some variations that different gene combinations produce in off spring. As genomes have been decoded and understood many traits are found to be controled by a number of gene combinations. While many offspring will look the same, a few will exhibit some distinct variation. Color will be one that can vary. There are many more color varities now than when I began keep freshwater tropicals over 50 years ago. Perhaps the guppies and bettas are the best examples of this. Breeders look for these variations and select individuals for their breeding trials.
I have raised a number of broods of kribensis and found that some individuals were a bit more striking than others. This was somewhat more noatable with a breeding pair of albino kribensis. I did not keep many long enough to raise them to maturity so cannot say from experience that the early coloration differences did persist.
My best guess is that a very striking young fish will be come a striking adult. I have however purchased washed out fish from local fish shops that became very striking when settled in my tanks under good conditions. On thinking about this I guess a rule of thumb may well be that you can not go wrong by selecting the most striking individual in that it will at least continue to be striking.
 
That was pretty much what I have been thinking and the logic behind my purchasing. I appreciate you taking the time to provide your insight and experience. Funny that I too did some breeding of kribs and the father was albino. Ha ha! Small world. If anyone else has experienced or knows anything about this topic please feel free to share. I'd love to hear more.
 
Koi's have a more brillant coloration as they age ime.
 
Is there a fish particular your speaking of. Depends on the fish some fish have more striking color patterns as juveniles and get ugly when adults. Some fish get more striking as they age. A lot of fish were mis classified by color and pattern not knowing that another fish with a completely different color was the same fish as an adult.
 
Nope I was just referring to the ones that we know improve with age like green terrors, JDs, polleni, jaguar and so on. Once we know show some color young but generally improve as they get older.
 
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