Oscar changing color

[mr limpet]

I recently got some Yellow lemon Oscar’s. Within 6 weeks they changed to an orange color. Shop where I got them from said it was from the food I was giving them. I stopped feeding that food and tried other food the shop recommended. they said yellow color may or may not come back. I am very disappointed with the people who sold me them. They’re not lemon Oscar’s anymore. Wondering what they are called now? You can clearly see the difference now.

 

[tlindsey]

Wondering what they are called now?

Now looks like a Red Oscar.

 

[duanes]

All these color morphs, are designer oscars (line bred), so depending how set that color is bred into them, or whether or not the breeder has culled juvies sufficiently before distributing, it can be a toss up as to whether or not the color line is "color fast".
Whether or not the LFS has anything to do with how they turn out is probably minimal, unless they are also the breeder.
it has more to do with the breeder or the program of quality control.

And since all cichlids tend to revert, and none of these variants are natural, time and evolution has a way of naturally selecting back to the original colors, be they distant red ancestors or black real oscars, unless a rigorous color fast program is used.
That type program is expensive, so I would expect, any sold by those very persnickety selection programs, would need to be cost reflective.

 

[mr limpet]

Thanks so much for your comment. Very informative. At this time they’re called red, red albino, Lutino red? It’s what their ancestors were? Any chance they’ll revert back to yellow?

 

[Jexnell]

Thanks so much for your comment. Very informative. At this time they’re called red, red albino, Lutino red? It’s what their ancestors were? Any chance they’ll revert back to yellow?

I would say it's a Lutino Red

Oscars are like chameleons, as they grow they go thru many color changes.

This girl started with like 6 dots on each side, had red eyes, assumed was albino

And she grew into

 

[mr limpet]

Btw LFS said they got the Lemon Oscars from China.

 

[LBDave]

Ahh...China.
Many many fish come from breeders in the orient and S/E asia.

 

[duanes]

When i say ancestral , in referring to designer oscars, its kind of an oxymoron, yellow, red etc are only ancestral as far back as the original designer.
none of these colors are natural.
The real ancestor to all oscars looks like this.

 

[mr limpet]

Ok. Then there’s the Chili Red Oscar. Don’t know if that’s a real thing or just sounds good to sell. Would that also be a Lutino?

 

[Jexnell]

Ok. Then there’s the Chili Red Oscar. Don’t know if that’s a real thing or just sounds good to sell. Would that also be a Lutino?

The "Chili Red Oscar" is just a made up name to make the Oscar "unique"

It's just a Lutino Red that's been selectively breed for the intense red.