kinked spine

[kretz11]

I have a male cacatuoides that has developed a kinked spine. I have a couple of his clutches growing out and was wondering what the chance was that his offspring will have the same problem??

 

[farm41]

If your plan is to breed these fish, you should get as near a perfect specimen as possible. No defects.

 

[kretz11]

he was pretty young when he had them and there was no evidence of defects at the time. So I'm assuming that he passed this trait down to all his offspring......are they automatically all culls??

 

[aspen]

that would depend on why the spine kinked. if it was because of a birth defect, then the liklihood would be high (i would assume) that the fry may have a high % of abnormality. or, if it was due to something else, (not sure what really) then they would be ok.

i would not breed that fish. and, i would either hold onto those fry till after the time the male showed the defect, or cull them now. don't pass them on to other hobbiests, till you can determine this.

rick

 

[Neil]

kretz11,
I have moved this thread to Dwarf Cichlid Health, where it will get more appropriate attention.
I think that, quite often, a "kinked spine" has to do with environmental factors (nutrition, etc.). I am not certain of this, but it may well be something that is not heriditary at all. The advice above is still valid though. Wait and see what the off-spring look like, but don't immediately assume that they are culls. Unless someone else who really has the low-down can chime in!
Neil

 

[Anonymous]

Kinked spine can result from nitrite poisoning, I see it all the time in livebearers- but they usually cark it soon after. If it is nitrite, your fish won't breed anyway.

 

[tjudy]

Kinked spine and nutrition are linked, but I also think that there is a genetic predisposition to getting kinked spines. I have some tank raised Pel. sub. 'matadi' that are at least F2... more likely F3. I have had four pairs, all from the same source (though my first pair came from that source second hand). All four pairs kinked up as they got older (they were breedable adults when I got them, and kinked up after about a year). None of my wild fish, nor my F1 fish, have kinked up. To be sure I need some wild or F1 'matadi', but my suspicion is that the strain I have are genetically predisposed to getting kinked.

 

[Neil]

Ted,
That sounds like a pretty good theory to me. It seems that on a genetic level there could be a prediposition to virtually every physical and behavioral quality, but it requires certain environmental elements to trigger the genetic manifestations. And, it seems likely that, these different environmental triggers might also account for timing and severity of genetic occurance.
P.s. Matadi, to the best of my knowledge, have not been imported wild for sometime. However, If have recently heard that some are due soon.
Neil