rubber plecos / xanto

[Charney]

Hi I was looking at an old post about the xanto rubber plecos (this is the name for the yellow morph right?). I was wondering if you breed a pair of xantos would you expect yellow or grey fry? Do all xantos start off as gray and then change or can they be born yellow? Thanks for looking.

 

[tb_077]

Hi I was looking at an old post about the xanto rubber plecos (this is the name for the yellow morph right?). I was wondering if you breed a pair of xantos would you expect yellow or grey fry? Do all xantos start off as gray and then change or can they be born yellow? Thanks for looking.

I believe they are all born grey/black, but under perfect parameters and conditions they will turn 100% 24K gold.


Here's a pic of one I kept a few years back.... 12-14"

 

[COL]

Here's the real skinny:

no one has any idea why they change color. Some people argue that the yellow is their stress coloration while other argue opposingly. Some say water parameters have to do with it, etc, but really, none of this stuff has been proven in the slightest. All we know is that they posses the inherent capability to change their colors thusly. I have seen full yellows in absolute crapholes while I have seen dark specimens in th best and most dedicated of tanks, most notably one Singaporean who had attempted for quite a while to breed them (in case you're wondering, tony, akoh :0).

 

[davo]

while talking to oddball on this (same as with H. luteus and many species of fish...)
Usually, radical color changes observed within a species is linked to sexual maturity, spawning, and perhaps territoriality of predominantly males of a population and is termed as polychromatism. If both genders, within a species, share the same color changes and these changes are linked with maturity and aging, then this is termed as the heritability and heterochrony of polychromatism.

Heritability is the extent to which individual phenotypes are determined by their genotypes. (traits passed down through generations)

Heterochrony relates to the timing of development (age triggers)

 

[tb_077]

Here's the real skinny:

no one has any idea why they change color. Some people argue that the yellow is their stress coloration while other argue opposingly. Some say water parameters have to do with it, etc, but really, none of this stuff has been proven in the slightest. All we know is that they posses the inherent capability to change their colors thusly. I have seen full yellows in absolute crapholes while I have seen dark specimens in th best and most dedicated of tanks, most notably one Singaporean who had attempted for quite a while to breed them (in case you're wondering, tony, akoh :0).

Allen is actually a long time forum friend of mine. I used to be a mod on PF.


Good info BTW.