Axolotl Genetics are Confusing Me

[DeCypher]

I'd like to raise a couple different varieties, but I don't know what certain Axolotl combinations would result in. I plan on getting a wild-type and a GFP melanoid soon. So, here's my questions -
GFP Melanoid + Wild type = ?
GFP Melanoid + Albino = ?
Wild type + Albino = ?
Leucistic + GFP Melanoid = ?
Leucistic + Wild Type = ?

Axolotl genetics are seriously confusing. :wacko:

 

[Kaysie]

It really depends on the recessive genes present. For example, two wildtypes can have 25% Leucistic offspring, providing both parents carry the recessive Leucistic gene. Do you know the phenotypes of your axolotls' parents? That would help.

 

[Neil C]

As far as I'm aware wildtype is dominant over all mutations. Therefore any cross with wildtype should just result in wildtype babies unless the wildtype parent is a carrier of the mutation of the other parent. If it is then I think you'll get around 25% of the mutation apearing in the young.

If both parents are mutations then you should get around 50/50 unless both parents are the same mutation and then all the babies could be that mutations. Things are never really this simple and almost all colour mutations and wildtypes are a mix of several mutations.

All I can say about your proposed crosses is that any without wildtype in the mix will probably result in a reasonable number of each parents colour. Any with wildtype in the mix could only result in wildtype but you could well end up with some other colours as well.

Regards Neil

 

[jinian]

Axolotl genetics would be super easy if we knew their entire pedigrees, but unless you know those parental phenotypes we really can't even guess effectively.

For instance, GFP Melanoid + Wild type = Approximately all or half GFP, because GFP is basically dominant. In any cross with GFP you can expect lots of GFP offspring.

Everything else depends on the recessive genes the parents are carrying. A wild type definitely has at least one copy of the wild-type allele for each locus (D/? M/? A/? Ax/?), and a melanoid has at least one wild-type allele for most loci (D/? m/m A/? Ax/?). But the nature of genetic dominance means that there's no way to tell by looking what the other allele is in the ? pairs. For all we know both could be carrying the albino mutation and you'd get 25% of those from your cross. Surprise! Or if the wild type is homozygous at all loci you'll get nothing but wild types.

You can look at the cross as an experiment -- by making multiple crosses and looking at the offspring, you can find out what your axolotls' genotypes are and get a really good understanding of how the genetics work. It'll be fun, really.