Differences in albinos?

[Vyaavi]

Hey folks! I've been doing what research I can to answer this, but I haven't been able to find satisfactory details. Are there physical differences between the different kinds of albino?

For example, a melanoid leucistic and a regular leucistic have physical differences - the melanoid lacks iridiphores, which are most obvious as an eyering. But there are so many kinds of albino that I'm a bit baffled and I don't have enough experience to have seen different kinds!

As far as I can figure, there's three basic kinds of albino. There's four color genes, A, M, D, and AX, but if just the albino A gene is homozygous recessive then you get a gold axolotl. The albino gene has to be paired with a second (or third, but forget that complicated jazz) homozygous recessive color. So to keep it simple, the genotypes that would be albino are
a/a M- d/d AX- (albino leucistic)
a/a m/m D- AX- (albino melanoid)
a/a M- D- ax/ax (axanthic albino)
And if we want to get complicated, there's always crazy things like a/a m/m d/d which would be a white melanoid albino. So what do you all think? Have you noticed any differences of phenotype in axies with confirmed genotypes?

 

[auntiejude]

The best explanation I have found is here:
Axolotls - Genetics and Colour

But there is no such thing as an 'albino leucistic', what you describe wold be a white albino.

As far as I can figure, all my albinos are D/- M/- a/a AX/- , they are golden and have gorgeous iridophores.

 

[Vyaavi]

I meant "albino leucistic" in the sense that both the albino and the leucism genes would be homozygous recessive. The leucism gene is indeed often called the white gene as well, probably to avoid this kind of confusion! I'll try to remember to call it a white albino.

I've read that page many, many times but never really understood the physical differences between the albino types. Clearly the white has iridiphores and the melanoid does not, but does the axanthic have any noticeable traits other than a slight yellow color in adulthood? But then how do you tell it apart from the melanoid, which also has a yellow tinge?

 

[Alkylhalide]

This is my axanthic albino vs my melanoid albino. I hope this clears up a little bit! I mean an adult axanthic may turn yellow due to diet, but before they turn yellow, axanthic means "lack of yellow pigment" so a axanthic albino just would not have any yellow pigment in then, unless caused by diet

 

[Vyaavi]

Thank you, that does help a lot! I do wonder if there's a visible difference between white and axanthic though. Both would result in having no yellow pigment on the body. Hmm, something to ponder! Thank you!

 

[oceanblue]

There is nothing wrong with the term albino leucistic to accurately describe the phenotype of an axolotl containing two copies of both these recessive genes. When they are small they show a light scattering of xanthophores on their head and back just like the leucistics do and show iridophores in their eyes and around their gut, again just like leucistics do. The distribution is just like leucistics but without the melanin. The leucistic gene affects pigment cell migration and persistence and it works in the same way even if the albino gene is present.

It is my understanding that melanoids lack iridophores and as they grow convert xanthophores to melanophores: This is why non albino melanoids usually end up dark. My understanding is the melanoid albinos and axanthic albinos both lack the shine in the eye and around the gut but when small can be distinguished by the presence of xanthophores in the melanoids, which sometimes persist to some extent on aging. The yellow pigmentation due to diet is a more diffuse pigmentation, not patchy.