Re: RE: NANFA-L-- Bullhead, black or yellow?

dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
Thu, 08 Jun 2006 11:51:55 -0500

Dan, I've found that most species of fish from turbid waters show
melanin intensification when kept in aquaria, especially when brightly
lighted. However, the pigmentation patterns are always consistent
with those of the species. So, yes, yellow bullheads become darker in
lighted aquaria than when collected. However, they do not develop
melanocytes on the chin barbels, and they may retain a yellowish wash,
despite the overall darker coloration. When black bullheads have been
in turbid water, one may need to resort to microscopic examination of
the barbels to determine if they have minute melanin spots. No matter
how dark yellow bullheads become, their chin barbels will remain white.

David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
home page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely/index.htm

"Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Johnson, Daniel (DanJohnson)" <DanJohnson-in-chevron.com>
Date: Thursday, June 8, 2006 10:01 am
Subject: RE: NANFA-L-- Bullhead, black or yellow?
> Dave,
>
> This specimen has been in clear aquarium water for a couple of months
> now. It has darkened up
> quite a bit in this time. Have you noticed that yellow bullheads
> don'tget as dark when kept
> in the same conditions?
>
> --Dan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org [owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org] On
> BehalfOf dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 8:23 AM
> To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
> Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Bullhead, black or yellow?
>
>
> Dan, the barbel pigmentation and the ray count are consistent
> throughout the range of these two species. Not common does not
> mean
> does not occur. The fish pictured is a black bullhead, and btw,
> appears to have been living in fairly clear water, given the
> intensity
> of the pigmentation. Bullheads of either of these species from
> turbid
> water are typically green and show some yellow color. I've
> collected
> black bullheads that were much more easily confused with yellow
> bullheads than the one you have, but that after a few days in an
> aquarium turned quite dark like the one pictured.
>
> Dave
>
> David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
> Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
> Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
> telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
> home page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely/index.htm
>
> "Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Dan Johnson <danjohns-in-io.com>
> Date: Thursday, June 8, 2006 7:58 am
> Subject: NANFA-L-- Bullhead, black or yellow?
> > Here's a photo of a bullhead. The black chin barbels and anal ray
> > countpoint to black bullhead, but
> > black bullheads are unusual in the Houston area. What do you
think,
> > black or yellow? Thanks in advance!
> >
> > http://www.io.com/~danjohns/fish/bullhead.jpg
> > /----------------------------------------------------------------
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