Copper genetics?

Here's a batch of juveniles from a cross between a copper and a wild het copper. I'm thinking the lighter ones are leucistic coppers. Any thoughts on other possibilities?

Copper is a distinct genetic trait - a simple recessive the same as albino etc.

What you have there is a mixture of coppers and wildtypes - about 50/50.

auntiejude said:

Copper is a distinct genetic trait - a simple recessive the same as albino etc.

What you have there is a mixture of coppers and wildtypes - about 50/50.

Click to expand...

Leucism can be present in combination with any color, including copper. Which is why I'm thinking these might be leucistic coppers.

Do you know for certain that there are leucisitc genes in both parents?
If they did you would see at least some white leucistics, so unless you have some other colours I doubt you have copper leucies (which TBH look pretty much the same as regular leucies).

auntiejude said:

Do you know for certain that there are leucisitc genes in both parents?
If they did you would see at least some white leucistics, so unless you have some other colours I doubt you have copper leucies (which TBH look pretty much the same as regular leucies).

Click to expand...

Yes, there were "white" leucistics in this batch, as well as normal looking wilds.

Leucism tends to cancel out other coloration, like a less extreme version of albinism. You could definitely have a light-colored copper, just like you can have light or dark colored wild types. I don't think you can truly have a leucistic copper though because leucism blocks the dark pigment from spreading throughout the body. You can't have a "leucistic wild type." You can have an axolotl that is leucistic and wild type for all the other coloration genes, but it can't be white and non-white at the same time. The only way leucism can go hand-in-hand with another coloration is if the other morphology doesn't make the axolotl non-white. It can be leucistic and albino, or leucistic and melanoid since melanism only technically affects the shiny iridophores, but there aren't really a whole lot of other combinations with leucism (at least not very often).

Leucistic coppers have lighter colored freckles. So, yes, leucistic copper is a thing.

Pretty cool, whatever they are

Both the lighter and darker versions in the photo have a reddish pupil in the eye. Another reason why I think they're all coppers.

Does anyone know if the hypomelanism gene occurs in axolotls? If so, maybe the lighter ones are hypo coppers.

I just realized I commented on this post about copper leucistics, and come to find out I had 3 in my last clutch also. Mine are leucistic in body, no freckles at all, ring around the eyes, with red pupil. Perhaps these are more common than I previously thought.