Abnormally high mutation rate?

[Synirr]

My spawn is really starting to confuse me. At first, everyone looked like they were going to be pretty uniform in colour with no surprises, but then out popped the little marble/redloss baby... then the two blue-grey redloss fry... and now I've found at least two more weirdos. Do bettas normally have such a high rate of mutation, or is it just me?? I mean come on, if you know much about genetics you know that 5 out of ~200 is a pretty freakin' high mutation rate! 2.5%! Mutation is the only explanation I can come up with

A few days ago I found the two blue-grey fry with no red:

Today in the storage room group I discovered a normal-coloured fry with colourless blotches on its body and white tips on its fins (but couldn't get a good pic) and this weirdo who stands out like a sore thumb. I've taken to calling her "Blondie" . I'm sure you can spot her (her gill plates are deformed and permanently flared as well):

Plus this jarred fry, who looks blotchy like it's losing colour. You probably wouldn't notice it if you hadn't seen what it looked like before, but there's definitely something going on:

The first weirdo is still the strangest though... It'll be marble, I think:

 

[Kara101584]

I don't know much if anything about betta genetics, but I know they are super cute!

 

[FishEnthusiast]

Could it be in the lineage of the father? I don't know much more, but gawrsh, those are some beautiful bettas, mutants or not .

I especially like the girl who sticks out like a sore thumb. And the marble, and the blue grey ones. Who am I kidding, I love them all!

 

[Kiarra]

I'd bet on some recessives or partial recessives carried by either the mother or the father, and mixing in some odd ways.

Very cute results, though.

 

[Synirr]

You'd think so Kiarra, but in numbers as small as I'm getting I don't think that's the case... I mean, 5 out of 200 is a lot for mutations, but it doesn't really fit any pattern of genetics I'm aware of, either. I guess it probably has to do with genetic linkage

 

[OohFeeshy]

I'd guess genetics too, what colour are the parents? Solid red? I'd guess somewhere along the line the ancestors could have been from non-red parents. Or something similar.

 

[slamster17]

i think those grey blue redloss males are going to look awesome in a few months no matter if they are mutations or not. i want oneeeeee )
i think they mutations look really nice synirr, its most likely genetic. its like how when a couple have a baby and somehow the baby looks exactly like its great grandpa instead of its parents i think.

 

[BrookeLea]

awwww i love the little freaks maybe i'll get some freaks when i spawn their brothers and sisters!

 

[Lady]

freaks or no freaks....they are all adorable either way...hehehe

 

[wuvmybetta]

I believe you would see some more rock solid characteristics and traits in a carefully chosen F2 spawn. With an F1, anything goes!
I wouldn't call them mutants though, more like unique

 

[OrkyBetta]

Dunno, but I love them. Maybe, if you figure it out, you can tell us your secret.

And, you didn't JAR any of them. You Sterilite Binned them.

 

[Andie]

And, you didn't JAR any of them. You Sterilite Binned them.

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I wonder if that term will catch on

 

[Elise]

I think freaks are adorable!

 

[willtang3000]

there cool I wouldn't call that a mutation I'd say that was a makeover

 

[Synirr]

I found three more today
I dunno what's going on, but I like it!! I was hoping to get a few "oddballs"
As many as I'm finding now, I guess most of it isn't mutation... just some recessive genes popping up. If I get a pair of weirdos I might try breeding them together at some point to see what I get.

slamster17 -- If you really do want one you've got it... the one I'm not keeping has a deformed gill plate though

This is the one I found yesterday but couldn't get a pic of. I think I'm going to keep it unless it loses all its colour like Blondie is doing, and I named it Blotches (at least for now):

And here's WHY I named it Blotches

Then there's Blondie II, who looks red butterfly now but I think she will lose the rest of her colour. She's definitely female, btw

Blondie II and Blotches at the bottom

The other new discovery... His fin tips are black lace, oh yes they are

An updated photo of the original Blondie, now with even less colour