White Bala?

[murphyk32]

I was at my LFS today and they had balas ($19 each) and one of them was extremely white, with very slight faded black on his fins. I took a picture on my phone, saved it but it isnt there anymore (?) so i mustve done somethin wrong... anyways, is the bala white for any reason?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Could have a disease or parasite infection which is causing the off-colour, or it could be another type of fish which looks similar to the bala sharks and simply got mixed up with them. I suppose a young albino irredescent shark could be mistaken for a bala shark;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?image_id=424

Does this fish in link above look anything like the white bala shark looking fish you saw at your lfs?

 

[murphyk32]

Could have a disease or parasite infection which is causing the off-colour, or it could be another type of fish which looks similar to the bala sharks and simply got mixed up with them. I suppose a young albino irredescent shark could be mistaken for a bala shark;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?image_id=424

Does this fish in link above look anything like the white bala shark looking fish you saw at your lfs?

Good thought but no it has that same white color but was clearly a bala shark non the less and had SOME black, just mostly faded... but like i said it was similar color to that picture

 

[The-Wolf]

possible that it is a natural colour morph, know as dilutinic

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Could have a disease or parasite infection which is causing the off-colour, or it could be another type of fish which looks similar to the bala sharks and simply got mixed up with them. I suppose a young albino irredescent shark could be mistaken for a bala shark;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?image_id=424

Does this fish in link above look anything like the white bala shark looking fish you saw at your lfs?

Good thought but no it has that same white color but was clearly a bala shark non the less and had SOME black, just mostly faded... but like i said it was similar color to that picture

I suppose another posibility is that the shark was just extremely stressed. A lot of fish fade in colour when stressed, i've never kept bala sharks before, however i know that red tail black sharks can fade in colour quite dramatically when stressed, even to almost white.

 

[severum boy]

possible that it is a natural colour morph, know as dilutinic

That would be very interesting.
Could you get another photo of it?

 

[murphyk32]

IF (prolly not but maybe) i am at the store again i will but they didnt have crickets which was my reason for goin there so i will be going to their other location tomorrow... it could be anything by the sounds of all the answers, i was just wonderiung if anybody knew for sure... It is possable it was stress but i have balas and they have never turned like that, i have rtbs and it dont turn the same as that bala was, it seemed more permanant then stress discoloration in my oppinion..

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

IF (prolly not but maybe) i am at the store again i will but they didnt have crickets which was my reason for goin there so i will be going to their other location tomorrow... it could be anything by the sounds of all the answers, i was just wonderiung if anybody knew for sure... It is possable it was stress but i have balas and they have never turned like that, i have rtbs and it dont turn the same as that bala was, it seemed more permanant then stress discoloration in my oppinion..

If you can get a good pic of it next time you go to the store (maybe borrow a friends camera?) that would be very handy in ID'ing it .

 

[murphyk32]

IF (prolly not but maybe) i am at the store again i will but they didnt have crickets which was my reason for goin there so i will be going to their other location tomorrow... it could be anything by the sounds of all the answers, i was just wonderiung if anybody knew for sure... It is possable it was stress but i have balas and they have never turned like that, i have rtbs and it dont turn the same as that bala was, it seemed more permanant then stress discoloration in my oppinion..

If you can get a good pic of it next time you go to the store (maybe borrow a friends camera?) that would be very handy in ID'ing it .

I have a camera and will take it next time i am out there to see if its still there, i just didnt have it on hand today so i used my phone