Keyhole Cichlid identify

[Warr40]

Hey i have a male keyhole cichlid in my tank and i was lookin at some pics on line and i notices that some keyholes are white and some are not mine is this color

and i also noticed that mine and the one in the picture just has a spot not like a keyhole shape and the white ones that i saw are like this

 

[Ben]

keyholes usually only form the keyhole mark when they get in breeding mode and start to breed

as for the white, i dont know, maybe its just another colour variation like with rams
HTH
DD

 

[swampcat]

My keyhole matches yours. I haven't seen a white one before??? The present keyhole i have only has a spot.. I had one many years ago that did have the keyhole mark, and he was'nt mating, he was alone.

 

[Jezah]

Keyholes only have a keyhole mark sometimes. Its a genetic thing, like blue eyes and brown eyes. Actually having a darker colored Keyhole is good, as they are usually unhealthy if too pale. Plus whomever took those pics of the "white" keyhole had a odd camera I think, as I have never seen a white keyhole. I think it is just the picture.

 

[nc_nutcase]

Its a genetic thing, like blue eyes and brown eyes. Actually having a darker colored Keyhole is good, as they are usually unhealthy if too pale.

Is it a genetic thing or a health thing??

 

[Jezah]

The spot is a genetic difference. The color is a health thing I beleive, as Keyholes are listed as "gold"...and they dont have a albino variety.

 

[Warr40]

I just went to the Pet store last night and i noticed a WHITE keyhole so i bought her and she is not as white as she was in the store but whiter than my male and the male just devolped the keyhole shape like "that"

 

[Ben]

The white thing isnt a health issue, as you can clearly see in the pictures above that the white keyhole is in top condition, if it wasnt why would it breed?

DD