Pigeon, Snake Skin, etc

[zippy]

What makes a Pigeon a Pigeon, a Snake Skin a Snake Skin, a Checkerboard a Checkerboard etc........
Zippy

[RogueDiscus]

Wow, big subject.

Best I will attempt is an outline.

Starting from wild types, different mutations have occurred that breeders have seized upon and developed. The bar-less blue diamond I think was an early one. The pigeon bloods supposedly came from a single mutated fish, where the bars were spread out as peppering. Breeders have bred out much of the peppering over the several decades. Snakeskins (14-bar) are another mutation from the more typical 9-bar turk type. Goldens are another mutation, although the name golden gets used for color description as well as the genetic type. These are all mutated variations of discus. Now, breeders have done all kinds of cross breeding and line breeding to bring out specific traits. So it's gotten hard to really identify the genetic background of some fish, unless the breeder/supplier tells you. Checkerboard is a pattern that has been developed in pigeons and other varieties, too.

Others can offer more exact descriptions, or correct me if I've got something wrong, but I think that's the big picture answer to your question.