Axolotl coloration

Well, after doing a lot of research and getting to know the many different axolotl variants, there's still a few things I'm left being curious about. I've seen a "copper" colored axolotl, and from what I've read its a rare variant. And also the Harlequin axolotl (as people like to call it), are also rare. What do people breed to get colors like this? I could be wrong, but I assume to get the copper color, maybe breed a golden albino with a wild type and get that type of mix? Or am I completely wrong? The genetics thing still confuses me. I just know that both genes get passed down, but that's about it. My wild type and luesistic type have both bred before, so I knew I'd get both types. Or was it possible to get only one type depending on who's gene was passive or I guess the word is recessive? Genetics confuse me so much...even as curious as I am about this. That said, and without getting too off topic, is it possible to breed luesistic or albino sirens or ambystoma andersoni? I've looked, but never saw any pictures. So this genetics thing makes me very curious as to how the color combinations come up.

Axolotls aren't paint: you can't mix a dark and a light and get medium.

To breed certain traits, you need adults who are carriers of those genes. Both harlequin and copper may or may not breed true, and we're nowhere near understanding the genetics behind them yet.

Yes, it is possible to breed leucistic or albino anything, as long as you have adults that carry those genes. If you only have one adult, you'll have to breed it, and then breed it back to its offspring (who will then be carriers) to bring out that gene.

All axolotl varieties as far as I'm aware (apart from the golden form) have occured from random mutations. The golden was created by introducing genes from a golden tiger salamander in the laboratory.

Therefore you can't set out to create a certain form unless your breeding axolotls already possess the genes for this form already.

I believe that piebalds usually arise out of the leucistic gene so starting with one leucistic parent would be a good start although your chances are still extremely slim of ever seeing one show up in your young.

Wildtype is dominant over all other forms so if you bred a pure wildtype with any other forms you will only get wildtype babies unless a mutation has occur (very unlikely). If you breed a wildtype and a leucistic and get some leucistic babies then you wildtype parent must carry some leucistic genes.

If you breed two colour forms (say a white albino and a golden albino) you should ideally get 50% golden albinos and 50% white albino in the young. Both mutations are recessive so you get half of each. Most axolotls carry genes for a number of different colours so it really can be pot luck which colours arise from a certain pairing although you will usually have a good idea of which colours should occur.

Hope this has helped.


Regards Neil

It is theoretically possible to mix a dark trait and a light trait and get an intermediate phenotype but it doesn´t seem to happen with any of the observed axolotl mutations because none of them are co-dominant.

Golden albinos, ultimately have a mutational origin ( and most mutations are random in nature). The only colour morph that doesn´t have a mutational origin are the GFP axolotls.

The phenotypic effect of each mutation is dependent on several factors, but it can largely be simplified on wether the gene is dominant, co-dominant or recessive. By far, the most common type are recessive traits that need to appear in homozygosis (two copies of the recessive allele) in order to produce the phenotypic appearance. If the gene is recessive, then heterozygotic individuals (carrying only one copy of the mutated gene and another normal gene) will look completely normal. Like Kaysie said, their offspring can show the phenotypic trait if they inherit two copies.

It is indeed possible for albinistic or leucistic traits to appear in any species that has pigmentation. It must be noted that most of these mutations are not desirable traits. Often they are associated to lethal genes, produce negative effects that affect welfare and fitness, etc. It´s all entirely dependent on the specific mutation that is causing the phenotypic effect. A particular kind of "colour" can be produced independently by many different mutations with different effects (that´s why there are several types of albinos, for example).
As kaysie points out, very often, recessive traits are promoted through inbreeding. Also, exclusively selecting for colours is a very risky business that most often ignores very important issues. It´s not all roses...