Albino Gene

[dennin7418]

If one parent is an Albino how will that gene be transferred to the offspring? Is it the dominant gene? and do you all prefer this or not?

[John_Nicholson]

Albino genes are always recessive. 1/2 the offspring would get the gene but you would have no way of knowing which ones. In my opinion most albinos look like crap. The are generally less healthy then the normal colored discus and I have no use for them myself.

-john

[twocat]

From what I can tell most discus with the albino gene looks a little washed out.

Mark

[Attila]

As John said, albinism is recessive. Therefore only those fish with two albino genes, one from each parent, will be albino. If something has two of the same genes for a particular trait, they're said to be homozygous.
Just as an example, let's say you crossed a homozygous pigeon blood (PB/PB) with a homozygous albino (a/a).
100% of the offspring will now be heterozygous with an albino gene (PB/a). Because albinism is recessive, all the fish will look like a pigeon blood.
If you cross 2 of those fish, 25% will be PB/PB, 50% will be PB/a, and 25% will be a/a....therefore 75% will look like a pigeon blood, and 25 will be albino.

I'm not sure how familiar you are with genetics, so I hope that makes sense!

[nc0gnet0]

If one parent is an Albino how will that gene be transferred to the offspring? Is it the dominant gene? and do you all prefer this or not?


Albino genes are always recessive. 1/2 the offspring would get the gene but you would have no way of knowing which ones. In my opinion most albinos look like crap. The are generally less healthy then the normal colored discus and I have no use for them myself.

-john

I am sure John was in a hurry when he wrote this, but he is incorrect. ALL the offspring would get the albino gene, but being recessive, none would be albino's, they would be albino intermediates. F2 brother to sister cross would give you 25% albino offspring, or crossing one of the offspring back to the albino parent would give you 50% albino offspring in the F2.

As for the looking like crap part, Some yes, some no, depends. I do agree with the less healthy part (at least more fragile) and I do beleive they have shorter lifespans.

hth
Rick

[dennin7418]

So I'm assuming the higher price for an Albino is simply because they are harder to breed (Albino with an Albino) and/or fewer fry will show the albino gene and therefore are less common? The price doesn't necessarily reflect a more prized fish...

[nc0gnet0]

So I'm assuming the higher price for an Albino is simply because they are (1) harder to breed (AlbinoXAlbino) and/or fewer fry will show the albino gene and therefore are less common? The price doesn't necessarily reflect a more prized fish...

it's more a supply and demand, but yes they are harder to breed, but more importantly, they grow slower and have a longer time to market. Artificial rearing has made the breeding part easier. Two albino parents will still have 100% albino offspring.

-Rick

[John_Nicholson]

Rick is right.....I should not be posting while I am working.....LOL.

-jhon