RED Lizard Loach

[MTS]

I know that some fish get very colored when breeding. Do you think it might be breeding colors?

[Emma Turner]

Unfortunately, I have no idea what they looked like when they were caught, and since I acclimatised the whole bagful in the dark and hadn't been back to look at them until yesterday, I couldn't say if this individual arrived like this or if it has coloured up since. The rest of them look like normal coloured H. orthogoniata/confuzona types. This fish is still quite small at around 2"TL.

Emma

[newshound]

If it's still there by the weekend, I shall bring it home.
Emma

to late Emma, picked it up today...and after a short flight across the ocean it'll be in my tank.
although I'd guess that over 100 loach lovers in North America would gladly take a day trip to your store. If only it was that easy.

[Mike Ophir]

Interesting specimen. No idea why it would be more intensely colored than others. I once saw a sinibotia robusta that was electric green in color, while the rest of the specimens were dull brown. Don't why, how or where. Could be a special diet or natural diet and colors fade when kept in captivity?

Mike

[helen nightingale]

that is one bizarre fish. i wonder how well it blended in to its surroundings in the wild.

Emma i think you should reserve it to make sure it is still there at the weekend, so we can all find out more about what happens to its colouration

[newshound]

that is one bizarre fish. i wonder how well it blended in to its surroundings in the wild.

Emma i think you should reserve it to make sure it is still there at the weekend, so we can all find out more about what happens to its colouration

I agree!!!!

[Dutch]

I've been looking a bit more closely and if the color doesn't change I would expect the fish to have problems with its melanocortin receptor (MC1R). That receptor is linked to the state of the melanosomes in the melanophores, which color the skin.
This could be the fish equivalent of a red head.

[newshound]

This could be the fish equivalent of a red head.

redheads are cute!
emma keep the fish!!!

[Graeme Robson]

Interesting looking specimen Emma! The pigmentation is bizarre!

[newshound]

now that I think about it years ago I got this loach in with a bunch of striata
it was very red/pinkish. One can't really see the colour from the image.
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y88/ne ... Qloach.jpg

[helen nightingale]

Newshound, i have to wear purple tinted glasses, and through those the loach look as though it has a pinkish tint here:




sorry, it wouldnt edit out the big white background. is that pink in the right place?

(the glasses dont make everything look pink/purple to me, but they can slightly change my colour perception - the blue sky looks a little bit bluer with the glasses than without.)



it is now past closing time at the shop, so i am hoping Emma will be having the fish tomorrow

[fatbotia]

Very pretty fish.
Reminds me of juiced up, colour fed discus. Could this be a possibility?

I've seen 5" clowns in a store that were obvously fed hormone foods, and they their normally orange base colour had turned rosy, and the fins and tails were glowing red.
Not sure of the long term implications, but definately attention grabbing.

[Emma Turner]

Hi fatbotia,

I honestly don't think it is what it has been fed on since capture, as these can be very tricky to get feeding and they come in a little on the skinny side.

I haven't picked it up yet, but will get it tomorrow evening if it is still there.

Emma

[sophie]

Em, is there any chance it's a natural sport? can't imagine that's abeneficial colour mutation, myself!

[Emma Turner]

You lot will be cross with me - I have been so busy this past week and took ages getting around to seeing if the RED Homaloptera was still there, and in the meantime, I'm afraid some other lucky person has bought it. Never mind, maybe I will order more next month and see what turns up.

Emma