Gill Deformities?

[tanglovers]

Hey All,

Have a question, pretty certain I know the proper answer but wanted to get some more experienced breeders opinion. A fellow reefer may be interested in parting with their older black and white ocellaris pair (about 3 year olds), never spwaned but grown out nicely and should (hopefully) at somepoint.

Well my question arises from the fact that the female of this pair has very slight gill flaring. Now this condition could have been developed from larval rearing water condition or possibly genetic right? Now in your opinion, should larvae from this pair be reared or would the larvae be predisposed to gill flaring? Never ran across a pair I was interested in with an undesireable trait so never had to consider this before.

Anyone ever produce young from a parent with this condition?

Any advise/opinions/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[chico_andrade]

Hi,

Most people will tell that the gill deformity is due to poor larval husbandry. But in my experience this might have a genetic component as well. I have one specific ocelaris female that produces an average 20% flared gill descendants, already changed the male with no improvements on this. Sure it´s genetic, because it do not happen with other pairs, and all the larvae from all the pairs are grown in the same system, thus with the same water and husbandry.
Now, I think that you should go for the pair and see how larvae grow, because I once had a pair of Discus fish that both male and female had fins deformities but produce 100% perfect young.

[]´s
chico

 

[tanglovers]

Hey Chico -

Does your female that produces the 20% flared gills, show this trait in her appearence?

Alot of what will depend on if I pursue these will be the price/trade that may be worked out for them. Obviously I am hesitant of this pair but might be an experiment if nothing else....my other concern is even if she produces normal looking babies, the babies could have the genetic component to flared gills and show up if they were bred out in a second generation....not sure I want to take that chance or not.....I beleive in breeding/passing on the best traits if at all possible.

 

[chico_andrade]

HI,

She do not have any deformity, she´s perfect. And I also paired two of her descendants and their prole do not have any deformities, maybe a second or third inbreed will show this trait again.
[]´s
chico

 

[kerusso316]

Can someone post a pic of flaired gills?