my bristlenose plecs had albino babies

[emma12321]

Now my babies have started leaving their log i have seen 4 albinos. The parents are both the brown colour and i have still got at least 4 babies in the tank from the first batch that are all brown. How common is this?

Unfortunately i haven't got the baby tank sorted yet so it will be survival of the fittest and the albinos will probably get munched first as they stand out against the bogwood. Dad has kept them in longer this time though so they are about a centimeter long. The only thing i can see that would eat them is the loaches, but hopefully at least 1 albino will make it.

Would one of the grandparents have had to be albino?

Emma

 

[Teelie]

Albinoism is more common than many people think. The fact albino animals don't live long in the wild (or "wild" captivity) is also an obvious reason we rarely see them. I don't know how normal it is to get them in a batch, but I wouldn't call it a rarity either.

 

[LoachLover]

Albinoism is more common than many people think. The fact albino animals don't live long in the wild (or "wild" captivity) is also an obvious reason we rarely see them. I don't know how normal it is to get them in a batch, but I wouldn't call it a rarity either.

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Well it happens more in fish and reptiles, but not so much in mammals.

 

[Teelie]

True, but fish, reptiles, insects, etc, tend to have far more offspring (dozens to millions) than mammals, birds or other higher level organisms do (1 to perhaps half a dozen) so the odds of seeing one are increased greatly.

 

[LoachLover]

Tasmanian Devils give birth to over 20 young, but the first 4 to make it in the pouch are raised.

 

[Teelie]

Now you're just nit picking. There are always exceptions.

 

[Tolak]

Albinoism is caused by a recessive gene, the gene that causes the brown color is dominant. If you breed 2 albino plecs, you will end up with a large percentage of brown plecs due to this.

Tolak

 

[Jephex]

now he's going all science-ey on us...pshh

 

[LoachLover]

Now you're just nit picking. There are always exceptions.

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I'm not nit picking, just stating the facts.

 

[batters]

ok tolac and others you are right about the albino gene being resesive, let me explain this in the easyiest way i can(still a little complex).

in terms of albinoism there are two genes that determine wether a fish(or other animal) will be albino or normal.

so let
B= non-albino gene
b= albino gene

because there is two genes determining wether a fish will be albino or not each fish will have either of these 3 possible combinations of these two genes,
BB (non-albino) - (normal colouration),
Bb (heterozygos albino) - (normal colouration - also known as carriers), or
bb (albino) - (albino colouration)

therefore a true non-albino fish can only produce more true non-albino fish eg.
BB * BB can give
BB, BB, BB or BB. giving no possibility of producing albino or heterozygos albino offspring

meanwhile heterozygos fish, which appear to be the normal form of the fish will produce about 1/4 albino fish eg.
Bb * Bb can give
BB, Bb, Bb, or bb. giving a 25% chance of producing a true non- albino fish (BB), 50% chance of producing heterozygos albino (Bb) just like the parents, and 25% chance of producing an albino coloured fish (bb).

so emma your parent fish must have been heterozygos albinos, Bb (carriers of the albino trait) , therefore showing normal colouration, but should produce appox 25% ablino coloured fish. Also the grandparents would of have to of been either a normal crossed with an albino BB * bb producing 100% Bb fish, or both heterozygos fish like the parents themselves producing 50% Bb fish which you parents turned out to be.

also tolac two albino fish breed together will always produce albino babies and there is no possible way they can produce normal coloured as this gene simply does not exist in either of the fish.

ok i know this was long but i tried to explain it all, all this information is scientificly correct (execpt mayb my #### spealing) so if you have anymore questions about albinos dont hesitate to ask me.

cheers mick!