Question: Wild type axolotl lost all pigment over span of a few years, why?

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hambrugr

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Hello, I got an axolotl sold to me as a "wild type GFP" from an aquarium shop about 5 years ago. When it was young, it had no pigment, just white with a tinge of green-yellow from the GFP. Over the course of a couple years it turned dark green - almost brown/gray, covered in spots with dark crimson gills. 3 years later and now its almost completely lost all of that pigment and looks identical to how it was as a baby, yellowish-white with bright red gills, a few spots of darker green remain but are fading. I've always been so curious about what caused this change.
Anyone know why this happens? No major health issues or trama, always had the same temperament and activity. Left is before, right is now. Thanks in advance!
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Pigmentation is affected by genetics, but there can be epigenetic factors involve which cause the pigmentation to show in different ways. If it's had a varying diet or changes to its environment, or even new tankmate, etc., it may just be adjusting to those kinds of things.
 
Autistic Catholic said:
Pigmentation is affected by genetics, but there can be epigenetic factors involve which cause the pigmentation to show in different ways. If it's had a varying diet or changes to its environment, or even new tankmate, etc., it may just be adjusting to those kinds of things.
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No change in diet or environment, no new tankmates. And this was a slow process which happened over a few years. Started as small splotches of nonpigmented skin and slowly spread over the entire body.
 
It's possible it's related to genetics. This has happened before. It was hypothesized there was death of melanophores or that the axolotl might have had leucistic or even tiger salamander DNA as the genetic lineage of the animal was unknown.
 
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