White swordtail...common?

vwill279

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Oct 7, 2011
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Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Vanessa
In each of my blue pearl female's 3 batches of fry, she has dropped one white fry. The first one has just reached maturity (male). He is GORGEOUS. He is NOT albino. He is also not PURE white. He has a black line along his tail that leads to the sword (sword is all white) and some black speckling on his sides towards his back. He doesnt show nearly as much of the blue iridescence that his father and siblings do, but he does have a little bit of it when he catches the light right. I've tried to find pictures/info on white swordtails online, but all I seem to find are albino or red/white swords. I'm trying to decide if I should cross him to his younger white siblings when they mature if they are female. I was thinking of getting out of swordtails, but I've become infatuated with this guy and if there would be a market for them, I'd consider breeding him. Otherwise I'm just gonna keep him alone. What do you think?

Here are a couple of pics of him. He is super fast and active and I suck at taking fish pictures, so cut me a little slack :D

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Him with his blue pearl brother and sister (and Boreas the guppy :D)

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This is closer to his true color.

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Him with his daddy.

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personally I think he's quite attractive
 
Thanks! So do I. I'm not a fan of albinos, there's a reason they dont live long in the wild. There are a multitude of health problems and sensitivities that can come with albinism. But this guy is a pretty white and isnt albino. I'm at least going to let him mature some more and see how he turns out. Then maybe when his younger white sibling matures, if it is a female, we'll see what they produce. I would love to develop a white strain that has that awesome blue iridescence that the blue pearls do. If I can amplify the little Ghost has (yes, I am a nerd, named after the wolf from A Game of Thrones), yet still keep the white body... We'll see if I get that ambitious. For now I'll just enjoy his beauty. Hopefully I can find a home for his blue brothers and sisters soon.
 
The strain has yet to be stabilized. Mine threw a white as well, in addition to the actual Blue Pearls and the orange ones.
 
All of the blues have always started off orange then turned blue at 2-3 months. I havent had any stay orange. This guy has been white the whole time. I like the white better I think. My lighting isnt good enough to show off the blues and without the iridescence they get a bit dull.
 
Very nice.
 
Many years ago I had red swordtails and in every batch appeared 2 or 3 white ones. As said, I also believe it is a recessive trait; so if you cross a pair of whites, probably all their fry will be also white swordtails.
 
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