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Need help with naming tadpole phenomenon

paris

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I didnt want to post this in the scientific area in case it would exclude a valid insights from members who don't use that section. I am looking for the terminology for what are essentially leucistic neotenic/delayed development anuran tadpoles. using search terms of 'white tadpole' or 'silver tadpole' and metamorphosis or delayed development get me minimal results. I can only find a few posts/anecdotal references to this phenomenon -no scientific info/papers. so i am either no naming this right or it hasn't been studied.
I want to mention these are NOT albinos, and when it does occur it only affects 1% of the offspring. most references I have found mention that they fail to metamorphose, i have had both kinds in my Spea offspring. I did run across a mention of a link between pigment loss and delayed development but the poster's reference was to birds. does anyone know what other key words I can use to research this or know of a true name for it? or any papers?
 

Kaysie

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I asked around the lab, and one of the Ph.D. students recommended having a look through the book "Amphibian Metamorphosis, From morphology to molecular biology" by Yun-Bo Shi, Ph.D.

I've got it sitting on my desk right now, and if I get a chance today or tomorrow (or maybe this weekend), I'll have a look through it and see if I can glean any info.
 

paris

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delayed metamorphosis is an end product, i think i need to focus more at the other end. I was hoping for some obvious genetic link that i didnt know about. one deformity common to these is vestigial or reduced eyes, i have one morphed white one with no functioning eyes that has to be force fed. but this doesnt happen more than 15% of the time and it happens both to the pale whites and the 'partial whites'
 

paris

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some photos of the tadpoles/morphs

here are a few photos of them-just in case someone wanted to see what I was talking about. in the group metamorph shot there is a normal phenotype in the foreground. The eyeless one can be seen on the far right in that photo. The one with the meta in my hand shows a slight abbreviated rostrum that occurs in some of these.
 

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