kiwiraka Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Loving the drag and drop upload Silverdollarboy2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colour_genes Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Wow. That is an amazing colour! Natural variant or ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjansss Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 You didn't leave that in the stream did you boy or girl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 (edited) Nice http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/christchurch-life/mainlander/325811/Blue-cray-rarityhttp://www.nzgeographic.co.nz/archives/issue-109/colourmorphs Edited September 19, 2015 by Adrienne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Wow. That is an amazing colour! Natural variant or ...?Yes natural varient (See Adriennes links )Apparently in some populations up to 25% of the koura carry the blue gene but it only appears occasionally due to heavy predation since they don't tend to blend in too well. Although they can be much more common in deep lakes due to the low light penetration. I found it in the Akatarawa river, just after a flood. I'm guessing it got washed out of a smaller stream since it likely wouldn't last long with trout in the vicinity.Pretty cool little character doesn't seem to like tank mates so he's currently in his very own 4 foot tank with a Sunsun 303B. You didn't leave that in the stream did you boy or girl Haven't checked, although I definitely will in the near future. I would love to have a go at breeding it I'm thinking best method for this would be to wait til it's bigger then get Koura that are smaller as I don't want to risk him/her getting injured or killed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Silverdollarboy2 and livingart 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjansss Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Are those purple eyes two so jealous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Are those purple eyes two so jealous I hadn't even noticed the eyes, might just be the flash... I'll have a look tomorrow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverdollarboy2 Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Beautiful, hopefully you find another so you can breed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 (edited) Beautiful, hopefully you find another so you can breed them.It sure is Not quite sure on how genetics work but since it's a recessive gene (and if my 5th form genetic understanding is correct) if I breed the blue (bb) Koura with a normal coloured (No recessive blue gene) Koura (BB) all the offspring should carry the gene (They should all be Bb) but not show the blue colouration. Then if I breed those offspring with the blue cray hopefully 50% will be blue (50% should be bb 25% Bb and 25% BB). Or if I breed two carriers (Bb+Bb) 25% would hopefully be blue (bb). All offspring of two blue Koura should be blue. Although finding another blue specimen would be so much easier Someone else will have a better idea but one can hope Now to get it to breed............... Edited September 20, 2015 by kiwiraka To clarify my explanation Silverdollarboy2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjansss Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Not quite right let's say the blue gene is b and the normal is B the blue crayfish must have bb a non blue crayfish will have Bb or BB if you breed it with BB none will be blue if you breed it with Bb about one quarter will be blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Not quite right let's say the blue gene is b and the normal is B the blue crayfish must have bb a non blue crayfish will have Bb or BB if you breed it with BB none will be blue if you breed it with Bb about one quarter will be blue I was assuming the normal coloured Koura was not a carrier and was BB. I think the way genetics are taught in school compared to uni is very different, in school you're taught one gene is responsible for colour, but I think it's actually a combination of genes (upward of 10?). Maybe someone with a bit more experience with breeding and genetics can clarify this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willyp123 Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Honestly - it could be anything, i suspect the blue colour isn't directly coded for by a gene, but instead by a lack of ability to break down certain proteins causing the expression of a blue pigment (see: http://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/5656/V71N06_363.pdf?sequence=1 ). It may also be an environmental thing, as i've mentioned before the blue colour morphs are more common in deep lakes due to the light penetration meaning that blue crayfish can camouflage better in deeper environments. If it moults and doesn't produce a new blue exoskeleton then it is like an environmental factor influencing, while if it continues to produce a blue exoskeleton it may be genetic. The australian freshwater crayfish has a blue morph which is autosomal recessive (recessive gene on a non-sex chromosome) - this follows a mendellian ratio (3:1) if we assume normal inheritance and ignore possibilities of incomplete or co-dominant genes. Yet some studies attribute the coluration to diet and environmental cues.- http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1651/0278-0372(2000)020[0025%3AEFTIOA]2.0.CO%3B2In other words, we don't know enough about it yet, so if someone can breed it successfully i'll be bloody impressed. kiwiraka and Silverdollarboy2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colour_genes Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Perhaps you could buy it some of that 'pretty' blue gravel from a LPS to walk around on. Maybe it will feel nice and camouflaged - and stay blue when it moults??? Silverdollarboy2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calculator Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Aweosme looking fish, shame they don't live in tropical tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Perhaps you could buy it some of that 'pretty' blue gravel from a LPS to walk around on. Maybe it will feel nice and camouflaged - and stay blue when it moults??? Um..... No... Not a fan of the coloured gravel I hope it does stay blue, time will tell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrewerton Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 In April Kirkendoll's "How to raise and train your peppermint shrimp" (the book I have mainly been following for my breeding attempt) she has about 3 pages at the back in regards to reef lobster. Obviously not the same as this but it could be helpful to get you on the right track with it anyway (if the time came and you got it breeding) kiwiraka 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverdollarboy2 Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 (edited) Um..... No... Not a fan of the coloured gravel I hope it does stay blue, time will tell What about painting the back of the tank blue or putting a blue background on the tank? Edited September 23, 2015 by Silverdollarboy2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 In April Kirkendoll's "How to raise and train your peppermint shrimp" (the book I have mainly been following for my breeding attempt) she has about 3 pages at the back in regards to reef lobster. Obviously not the same as this but it could be helpful to get you on the right track with it anyway (if the time came and you got it breeding)Thanks for that What about painting the back of the tank blue or putting a blue background on the tank?If it loses it's colour I'll probably do that, but I want to see whether it's genetics or habitat that's causing the colour. Silverdollarboy2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrewerton Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Thanks for that If it loses it's colour I'll probably do that, but I want to see whether it's genetics or habitat that's causing the colour.Very keen to see how this plays out - let us know once it has completed its first moult with you :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Very keen to see how this plays out - let us know once it has completed its first moult with you :-)Will do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 The good thing about breeding koura is they do all the work for you.http://www.rodmorris.co.nz/keyword/freshwater/i-wR3zFzs/A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrewerton Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 The good thing about breeding koura is they do all the work for you.http://www.rodmorris.co.nz/keyword/freshwater/i-wR3zFzs/AWow that looks so cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colour_genes Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 I was joking! Not a fan of the coloured gravel either! (especially fluoro pink, urrrghh, shudder)But the experiment could be interesting, whichever way you try ('matching' or contrasting environments). I wonder if koura can even see in colour, or do they see in grey-scale or even in wavelengths we humans don't see? Anyone know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted September 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 The good thing about breeding koura is they do all the work for you.http://www.rodmorris.co.nz/keyword/freshwater/i-wR3zFzs/AUntil they get released and the mum gets hungry I was joking! Not a fan of the coloured gravel either! (especially fluoro pink, urrrghh, shudder)But the experiment could be interesting, whichever way you try ('matching' or contrasting environments). I wonder if koura can even see in colour, or do they see in grey-scale or even in wavelengths we humans don't see? Anyone know?I was hoping you were Although I could try turn the Koura pink I'm assuming they would, isn't eyeshine a sign of what colours they see? Koura have orange/red eyeshine, red light is being reflected and they see the rest of the 'visible' light spectrum? livingart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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