Question: Can a healthy axolotl have frill-less gills?

[kcoscia]

Mine both have frills (one much more than the other clearly due to the genetics) but can axolotl genetics actually lead to frill-less gills? Is it a sign of bad health if not genetic?

Hard to find a straight forward answer via search. I like to know about signs and symptoms of illnesses before they happen, if they even ever do! Maybe that's the nurse in me.

Anyways, thanks!

 

[auntiejude]

Genetics, injury, age, water conditions etc all contribute to an axie's gill appearance. So you're right, a search won't find you a firm answer.

Can an axie with small or less frilly gills live a normal healthy life? Yes. My big WT male came to me with terrible gills, they've always been short and have very few filaments, but he's happy and healthy.

Do small gilled adults produce similar babies? Not always. My WT male has produced some amazing babies with long fluffy gills.

 

[Trea]

I agree, I have personally expirence with this situation one of my females has more a less nothing left on her gills although her sister and her have never been separated from each other and the sisters gills are still fluffy and both happily together . I didnt notice any chance withing her behaviour or eating habits.

 

[Boomsloth]

The gill stalks are more genetic while the gill filaments are more on a need to grow basis. After some bad fungus my melanoid had no gills left and is slowly growing them back but after a few weeks they are still extremely short but I can see tons of filaments have started to grow from the little stalks.