Yellow Watchman Goby

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Straydum

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hi guys i've been wondering about this for quite awhile now.

whenever i drop by the LFS and there's a tank of yellow watchman, there'd always be this individual which would be somewhat white in colour like the one below

sbeuhlergoby_600.JPG


when i bought my first watchman goby, i caught the white one up and in my tank, it went back to the normal yellow.

has anyone got an idea on this?
 
Certainly not a YWG, but definitely of the same genus ;)
 
bought myself a new watchman yesterday, and again the white one of the lot. now, it's yellow as ever :unsure:
 
Bob Fenner is correct. It is a fascinating feature of fish skin; they have a hormone known as melanocyte concentrating hormone which reaches its highest concentrations when the adrenal axis is stimulated. Surprise surprise potent stimulation occurs with physical or 'psychological' stress such as a move to a new tank. Fish, like all other organisms, get their colour from a cell type in the skin known as melanocytes; these cells produce pigments that absorb light in various areas of the visible spectrum and what they don't absorb is reflected to your eyes, hence you see a particular colour(s). Melanocytes in fish are star shaped with a central body and radial extensions and it is the migration of the pigments in and out of the radial extensions that dictate whether the fish has colour or not. The aforementioned hormone is the agent that causes the pigments to be concentrated at the centre hence decreasing the pigment exposed to light and reducing colour. Just for completeness the hormone responsible for the migration of pigments out into the radial extensions is known as melanocyte stimulating hormone. It is this very hormone that gives humans a sun tan when exposed to the sun (or when someone has Cushing's disease).

Nice piece of science and I like the goby

Regards
 
I have read that the colour of these gobies can be a reflection of water quality. Try testing some of the water the next time you buy something.

This might be nonsense, but always made me feel a little better when I saw mine looking bright yellow.
 

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