Cynops larvae (abnormal coloration)

[TJ]

Not sure what kind of Cynops -- pyrrhogaster, ensicauda, orientalis...or hybrid?) -- this one is as its from a mixed larvae tank.

 

[kaysie]

You always have the cutest little freaks

 

[reinder]

Hi tim

looks like a c.e.e larvae to me,
although it,s a bit lighter then normal.
keep us posted and show us a pic 4 weeks after morphing, then we will know for sure

greetings reinder

 

[TJ]

Thanks for those observations, Reinder. This is a larvae that seems to have passed the dangerous phase of a condition I've mainly seen with C.orientalis larvae, in which gas or something is trapped under a thin fold of skin and the body appears swollen when the larvae is in the water. The swelling (if one could call it that) was not so severe in the case of this larvae.

Kaysie, I still have a few more "freaks" to spring on you guys & gals...all in good time

 

[pin-pin]

Hey Tim,

I quickly shot these pics (please excuse the quality) but I have some abnormal coloration in my c.o. as well. Nothing as dramatic, but here's what it looks like

Here's a comparison of a "normal" black c.o. with the abnormal guy.

My cynops don't sit still and pose for me unlike yours.

They're probably mad that I like Tarichas more.

 

[pin-pin]

Here is a picture of my simple "ice cooler" tank, I feed everyone by hand and I've observed both black and blotchy c.o. in the water. So I'm not sure what is causing the color differences besides genetics. (These are offsprings from Nate's colony, which has a grey c.o.)

 

[TJ]

I hope you don't mind me taking liberties with your pic, Pin-pin, but here's what the second one looks like with the exposure adjusted

 

[pin-pin]

I'm honored! In fact, that is a lot more realistic to what the juvenile looks like. It is more brown than black, and the belly is less spotted, although about the same color red.

 

[joseph]

Is that a sore on the tail? Besides being brownish red, not much difference.

 

[pin-pin]

It's a piece of duckweed.

Yup, they're that tiny.

 

[TJ]

It's turning out to be a truly spectacular beast

 

[paris]

looks by the reflection as if the normal red colouration is missing -a partial albino? cool none the less!!

 

[kaysie]

Piebald Cynops?

 

[TJ]

hehe

Here's a vent shot:

 

[TJ]

Tragedy strikes!

This morning it looked as if were about to morph in a few days, the gills having shrunken quite a bit, and so I added a little island for it to climb up on in addition to the plants already in its container. Late in the evening, however, I found it inexplicably dead. Drowning seems premature. The tail seems to have a couple of wounds or lesions in in it, though I don't know if this has any connection with its death. This morning, I changed half of its water with water from a cycled tank and added some tubifex worms. The death might be something to do with the worms, but the other 4 larvae in the same container all seem fine. I had high hopes for this larvae. What with having lost a newt to bloat, this sure hasn't been my week...

 

[jennifer]

That's a bummer. I've seen other interesting mutants die at metamorphosis. The newt may have had other defects that made it non-viable post-morph. Or it could have been the stress of metamorphosis.

 

[paul]

Hi,

I have one brownish coloured Cynops pyrrhogaster sasayamae larva this year. Today it has a total length of 3,5 cm. Hope, it will make no problems in metamorphosis.
Here it is:

Paul

 

[jennifer]

Keep us posted, Paul.

 

[mark]

Tim, sorry to here about your lose.
While i was looking through the species on CC i thought your larvae looked quit like Henk's C.cyanurus larvae.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Cynops/C_cyanurus.shtml

 

[TJ]

Thanks, Mark. My wife was just a sec' ago consoling me about the loss. This one was sickly from the start but then became seemingly healthy, so it came as a surprise.

Yes, you're right, it does look like Henk's C.c larvae. How observant of you!

http://www.caudata.org/cc/images/species/Cynops/cynops-cyanurus-larvaeWALLAYS.jpg

(tip: you can get the direct link to pics by right-clicking on the pic, then going to "properties" and then highlighting and copying the link

)