Endler "queen"

[davros]

Tank of Japan Blue:
I have one female showing "dominant" characteristics - twice the size , lots of colour.
The other females are consistent with the male sizing. Is this purely genetics or is there an environmental factor? I'm thinking bees -where there is only one queen...
Am I likely to see another over time or do I only get one?

 

[Colin_T]

pictures?

 

[emeraldking]

Tank of Japan Blue:
I have one female showing "dominant" characteristics - twice the size , lots of colour.
The other females are consistent with the male sizing. Is this purely genetics or is there an environmental factor? I'm thinking bees -where there is only one queen...
Am I likely to see another over time or do I only get one?

If a female of that strain shows the characteristics of the male color and patternwise, it means that the traits are also X-linked in her. For in general, Japan blue is Y-linked. But there are some females where the X-linked gene from the father turns into an Y-linked gene. If that's the case, a Japan blue female will show color. And maybe some pattern.

And there's another way why a Japan blue female will show color and/or pattern. If she grows up very large as well while having color, it's most likely that we are dealing with a YY female (yes, that's possible as well). Which means that she also has male hormones. The male hormones will give a boost on the growth of the female. But YY females are rare.

So yes, it's got to do with genetics. In this case, it also means that when you have a colorless male and cross him with an Y-linked japan blue female, the male offspring will inherit the blue color. And if you're lucky some daughter may inherit the Y-linked gene too. But that will be the minority of the female offspring. For it depends on the colorless male if he carries a recessive Japan blue gene or not.

So, it doesn't have anything to do with environmental factors in this case.