"Mark Stone" wrote in message
om...
"bassett" wrote in message
...
Could you please explain further,, how is it that a Pink eyed, White
skinned
fish, with fins that have a pinkish tinge, are not an Albino
While I don,t doubt for one minute that there my be a White Oscar,
or a White anything for that matter. There is a very big difference
between
White and Albino, The main one being that the Albino strain has a
recessive
gene, and in some cases are infertile.
It is also thought that in some cases the Albino strain is sex linked..

bassett

Hi Bassett --

The white colored Oscars that have become very common at LFSs and even
at chain pet stores are not albinos, but nevertheless are called so
(perhaps as a marketing ploy). They are strong, aggressive, grow
rapidly (in my experience a bit faster that orange Tigers) and breed
like gangbusters. When and how they got the name "albino" even though
they are not is a mystery to me (although I can assume it's the
color), but they're stuck with it! I've heard that true albinos are
available, but have never actually seen one in a local shop.

The "Albino" (so called) Oscars available in my area have stunning
gold colored eyes and very bright orange pigment in the eyespots and
the "tiger" markings on the sides. My understanding is that these
white Oscars are the ones victimized by the Dye predators.

--Mark


Mark Stone tractorlegs at msn dot kom
OSCAR Lovers! http://www.geocities.com/cichlidiot_2000/oscar.html
The ".Edu" meens i are smart.

Hmm, you've restated your position that these fish are not albinos, but with
no explanation. If they lack melanin due to a genetic mutation, then they
are albinos.
These fish were not selectively bred for a gradually increasing trait, like
hi red or gold fish sometimes are. Being strang, aggressive and prolific
has nothing at all to do with being aalbino. Many albinos have these
traits. Some are weak to start with, but many are weak because of continued
inbreeding to quickly produce a pure strain of albinos. Outcrossing can
restore vigor and fertility to these strains (usually) but if the are
homozygous for a mutation that prevents melanin formation, then they are
still albinos.