half side metamorphosis?

[bukowsky]

got a for me unusual "problem" here of a friend with a sweet copper axolotl [1. and 2. picture]. Now it seems that this cute little pal is going to morph but just one side as you side on the others pics. 3 of the gills are rolling in ... but what about the other 3? There's a tongue and the axo is clicking with his tongue pushing the spoon right out of his mouth. He is just able to eat very small things ...

so it looks to me that this little axo is within a metamorphosis ... but it seems there's something wrong with it.

any idea or suggestion?

 

[Kaysie]

I don't know if I'd jump right to saying it was metamorphosis. They eyes, skin, and tailfin don't necessarily reflect a morphing animal. The gills could just be atrophying, or have been injured. How old is it? What's its normal setup? Aeration? Filtration? Temperature?

 

[Jennewt]

My guess is that the axolotl is not in metamorphosis. The tail fin is still very full, and the overall shape and coloration looks normal for an axolotl. There are various reasons that gills sometimes grow or shrink over time. To me, I would guess that this is a case where the gills are shrinking, and for some reason the shrinkage is uneven. Interesting! Keep us posted.

 

[bukowsky]

yepp, if it just were the gills ... I would have thought the same ... BUT this axo has a tongue and can reach his upper palate with his tongue ... he pushed out the spoon the friend used to look into the mouth.

the gills aren't injured, the right ones just decreased. Water conditions are okay as I know him and he has a couple of other axos in the same tank. Besides that, both sides of gills should be affected if it comes from water conditions.

 

[Kaysie]

Not necessarily. If the gills are shrinking due to lower oxygen demand, they won't necessarily do it symmetrically.

As far as the tongue... I have no idea. I was under the impression that all axolotls had tongues.

 

[bukowsky]

As far as the tongue... I have no idea. I was under the impression that all axolotls had tongues.

yes, they all have a kind of tongue plate situated and fixed at the bottom of their mouth ... you can't really see it as a tongue and we usually can't use it.