Body shape genetics

[peterj]

This was the first spawn for these parents. I hadn't given much thought to a chance introduction. About the only things being added to the tank were dechlorinated tap water and the earthworms being fed to the parents, who were removed once the spawn was laid. I used the same practices I've used for other spawns but haven't had any other dwarfs.

I don't think this trait should be perpetuated

I'd imagine it must already be widespread in Australia at least because the parents came from separate breeders in different states. I'm guessing it is unconciously selected against because most breeders choose the largest and/or fastest growing individuals for their broodstock.

 

[Uli]

Hi there, I'm very happy to actually see pics of what looks exactly like some of my little guys. I only raised 35 out of 48. I had 7 or 8 leucistics, with 4 displaying slight dwarfism, about 10 which lookes white and grey when very small, but turned out to be brown and gold all of them slightly dwarfed with one being extreme, the head being normal size but the body very small and high. And some of those grey ones being spinners which I put down. My parents came from different breeders. I thought I might have missed something in regards of feeding, but really only about 20 were the usual shape. One turned out to be olive green with purple gills.

 

[Heather at HMSG]

I have several inbred oddities, from spawn kindly sent to me about 3 or 4 years ago by a lady in the IOW. I have 5 left now. All lucistic (or albino!) - one looks white albino but has one tiny black eye.
One is definitely leucistic & looks 'normal', & I have x-bred her with a golden male (unrelated as far as I know) & have about 50:50 golden & wild offspring - she is pink/white with vague markings. She is small.
Three of her siblings are smaller - 2 have weird gills, etc., & a third died suddenly for no apparent reason recently (all kept in same tank). A third surviving sibling is small, & looks perfectly formed, but for about 2 years would float often, upside down, looking dead, & I believe his/her gut was impaired & caused trapped wind - this floating could go on for days or even couple of weeks. This no longer appears to happen, so probably grown a bit & cured the problem.

The last is pretty large, all pink (albino?) with a wavey tail, & weird gills, & is the one with one tiny single black eye.There may or may not be an albino eye - can't really tell!

I did wonder if breeding 'minitures' was a go-er, but I never like to part with my creatures, & have way too many.........

Heather

 

[EmbryH]

I hate to be a wet towel, but is no one else concerned here?

These dwarf axies are very cute, and maybe they are as healthy as any other axie, but isn't it a little soon to think about breeding them? You don't know what kind of complications this mutation could have. There's less room for its organs in that short body. Maybe they'd be more at risk for fecal impaction? Is it really a good idea to be so eager to breed?

I'm sure you care very much about your axies, but it kills me that any responsible pet owner would purposely breed siblings just to satisfy a curiosity. These aren't novelty toys, they're living animals. Are you willing to put the health and well being of those potential axies at risk just so you know what happens?

I don't want to offend anyone at all, but this is very concerning. The body types of axies have been selected for thousands and thousands of years to be the best-adapted for their lives in wild environments. Do you really want to mess with that just because it's cute?

Again, I really, really don't want to offend anyone at all, and maybe I don't know what I'm talking about because I don't breed axolotls and I only have one myself, but I can't help but think about the negative effects that the breeding practices of the AKC and UKC have had on the health of the domestic dog as a species. Do we really want the same for our axies? This is very, very concerning to me.

 

[esn]

The thread was over 3 years old. I don't think there is much left to talk about. The original poster has not been on for years.

Other breeders have come out with axolotls similar to these randomly in large batches over the past few years, indicating that it is natural genetic variation that can probably be influenced by selective breeding. I don't think dwarf axolotls will become a breeding novelty any time soon.

 

[EmbryH]

Very good @_@ I was getting worried... I didn't notice the date; thanks for pointing it out