"bassett" wrote in message
...
Strangely enough I went into town the other day [120 klm round trip] and
as
always called into
our only decent Pet Shop, Mainly to stock upon frozen goodies, for the
fish,, And while I was in there I had a poke round his tanks, looking for
something of interest.. What do I find,,
yep, spot on ""Albino Oscars"" Around one and half inches long, white
with
patchy , random red/orange colouring. The eye colour was very dark red
boarding on black . When I questioned there authenticity. The owner
grinned and, I got told,, If we advertise them as White Oscars no *******
will want them. and the price around $18 aus or $12. us. each.


bassett

"Mark Stone" wrote in message

I posted over at SACSG and the responses so far indicate that the
White Oscars that are common at LFSs these days are pigmented and not
true albinos. However, no one seems to know where they come from yet,
but they say that the lack of pink in the eyes and the orange
pigmentation on the eyespots etc. indicate that it is a color strain
and not albino. I'll keep you posted - -

--Mark

Sarotherodon wrote in message

Thanks for the update, I really am curious where the originals came
from.
I
think I previously misunderstood the definition of "albino" these folks
are
using.
If being albino require lack of ALL pigment, then these oscars surely
are
not. Usually albino means simply a lack of melanin. I guess terming
the
"amelanistic" would clear up the reference. Most albinos, fish
reptiles,
etc that are in the pet hobby have some pigment. Albino kribensis have
gold
and red pigments.
There used to be a "silver oscar" strain, not very attractive imo, it
may
have died out.They had no red pigment. I wonder if crossing the white
oscars with silvers, and then backcrossing would yield some "snow
oscars"
pure white with no color whatsoever? Hmm, sound like a fun project!


Albino or not, I think they are great fish. What I originally responded to
was the implication that fish stores or breeders were "pulling a fast one"
with these fish.
It may be that the term albino sells better than white, but no poster has
given a definition of albino that doesn't fit this fish. As far as I know,
lack of melanin + red eys =albino. No one has provided any evidence, or
even an explantation, of why these fish are not albinos. Many animals
commonly considered to be albinos have red and yellow pigments.