Leucistic axolotls with iridophores?

[Geckogal]

Are leucistic axolotls with iridophores common?

I know there is a melanoid leucistic that has completely dark eyes and the “regular” type that has the colored ring around their eyes.
Having these rings means that they must carry iridophores, but I have never seen them anywhere except in their eyes.

As of now I am raising my first batch of baby axolotls and I noticed that all the juvies have iridophores all along their stomachs and some have tiny dots along their sides.

Will these iridophores become more prominate as they age, gracefully degrade, or stay the same?

 

[auntiejude]

The leucistic gene is all about distribution rather than pigment production. So a leucistic with iridophore rings round its eyes can produce iridophores, it just can distribute them over its body. Just like the melanophore freckles you see on leucistics any iridophores will be confined to the head and spine, but there aren't usually very many if any.

So a melanoid leucistic (d/d and m/m) will have all black eyes, and possibly more dark markings and a non-melanoid (d/d and M/-) will have iridophore rings round its eyes, and may show some iridophores on their head or spine, sometimes down their flanks too.

How your baby leucistics' patterns will develop as they get older is unknown - each axie is different and patterns on leucistics tend to come and go throughout their lives.

 

[rachel1]

I think what you are seeing are internal organs. All my leucistics (except melanoids) had a large sparkly patch on their side on the stomach region, that gradually disappeared as the body wall became thicker. I suspect that, like the eyes, pigment develops there very early on, before the leucistic gene shuts off pigment migration in most animals.

 

[Holly12]

So my black Eyed leucistic axie (greenish ring in the eye when light hits it,) has freckles and can have iridophores too?