Reefs.org Forums

[Jacky W]

Anyone has experience with this fish?

Will it be reverted back from xanthic (yellow) form to normal (black) after a few monthis?

THX.

[JimM]

While some species might display a xanthic, or other color variation as a juvenile, such as a particular serranid that I hold near and dear, your particular fish I believe is simply a xanthic form/mutation of that animal and will not change. No different from an albinio, melanistic, amelanistic, leucistic, piebald form. Xanthic mutations are seen in quite a variety of fish, including freshwater species.

[Checker]

I've seen what I considered a near adult xanthic H. passer turn back to a near normal coloration after a few months. It's color straight out of the ocean was far from normal. I have pics up on RDO some place

[JimM]

Interesting Gresh, I've never seen that in a Pomacanthid, nor have I seen an adult with an apparent xanthic mutation morph into the normal phase.

I'm especially surprised to hear your account...I'd like to see that fish!

Maybe his little guy will change.

Aside from normal/know variations, I'm more used to seeing aberrant color phases in freshwater fish as opposed to marine fish myself. Then again I left the industry side of things years ago.

[Mike612]

Jim, if you buy the book called Angelfishes and Butterflyfishes by Scott Michael, you'll see lots of differently colored fish. It shows both aberrant photo phases and hybrid pictures in this book. On top of that, the info is great. I highly recommend it to everyone, along with the other 2 books in the series.

[Jacky W]

Well, I haven't got such a fish , I'm considering....

I know that most colour morph of centropyge like rock beauty and coral beauty will revert back to normal after few months/weeks/days

So it is why I want to know the particular multispinis will have such problem, or if it is an albinio case like Jim said.....

[JimM]

Jim, if you buy the book called Angelfishes and Butterflyfishes by Scott Michael, you'll see lots of differently colored fish. It shows both aberrant photo phases and hybrid pictures in this book. On top of that, the info is great. I highly recommend it to everyone, along with the other 2 books in the series.

Yeah, I still need those books. I know aberrant phases exist in marine fish, such is the case with any species - I'm just saying that in my own experience I see it far more often with FW fish. Also, more often than not, unless it's a part of the animals normal life cycle, they don't usually "switch phases" as it were. However you can see by Gresh's post that this doesn't always hold true.

[wayne in norway]

Sorry for the gelayed reply. I have a spawning pair of C. flavipectoralis which seem to be quite similarly related, and whenever theyare ready to spawn the male exhibits xanthic colouring in the face and lower body area. The switch to/fropm xanthic colouring happens very quickly. I'm not sure if a fish could be 'locked in'.